Past Differences
by pandalatte
Summary: I was selfish then, I am selfish now. I used him just because I wanted to survive. I used her just because I felt lonely. And I used him because... well, because I wanted someone to lie and tell me I'm a good person. But deep down, I know I'm not. Just because I have been given a second chance at life doesn't mean I'm willing to stop being selfish. AU: Self Insert OC
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** Well, I'm officially writing stories again. But updates will be very and excruciatingly slow, so please bear with me. Also, I am not sure whether or not I will want to continue my previous stories, so those who are looking forward to future chapters to my old stories please do not have high expectations.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Magi or any of its characters. The only thing I own are the characters that I will come up with in this fanfic whilst writing.

 **Warning:** There will be gruesome and dark twists ahead. Read with care if you choose to protect your innocence.

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 _ **Prologue**_

Life and death.

Two opposites.

We all know what life really is. It is a contrast and a mix of what we learn or know now as 'right and wrong'. It is filled with so much happiness and joy, and yet it is also filled with so much sadness and pain.

My life— no, previous life on earth was typical. An average dysfunctional family.

My next life— I had never seen it coming.

I am someone who had long lost faith in what others call a 'God'. To me, a 'God' is nothing but a fabricated idol. Those who worship it is just useless and have a vulnerable mentality. But that is just my opinion.

So imagine my surprise when I finally died— if I am to be frank, I'm glad I did— and met up with the so-called deity I had long decided was fake in the afterlife.

My new story unfolds here.

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I shall brief you on my past life. It was dysfunctional, chaotic, and a complete mess. There was little to nothing that made me sincerely happy and I never thought that I would be able to survive in such an environment. My thoughts were always suicidal, but I never acted upon them.

I was the type of person to hate pain. A mere punch or slap would've rendered me vulnerable. I couldn't hold a knife without shaking nor glide it across my wrist. But who says you needed to harm yourself just to prove you were depressed and sick of the world?

But I would've gladly accepted any other reason to die. Like… if a speeding truck were to come my way and I had two options to either dodge it or let it kill me, I would definitely choose the latter. Any other ways of dying was completely acceptable, aside from suicide.

And that was how my end came. I had experienced too much suffering and too little happiness to in my previous life. So when I saw a highway and dozens of speedy cars, I didn't hesitate to throw myself into the pandemonium of rush hour to die.

How do I describe dying? I do not know if it is accurate, but all I can remember is numbness and the blurring of vision. The cries of people around and the sounds of cars stopping.

I heard someone try and keep me awake. I felt my weight shift slightly, as if someone was trying to carry me in their arms. A strange voice urged me to stay awake.

I'm sorry to say— but I smiled mockingly to myself and died happily in that stranger's arms.

Right now, I regret that. The stranger probably blamed himself, especially if he was the driver of the car that had killed me. But I didn't care. I was selfish that way. I was dead.

I was relieved.

Death was like a black void. It's as if you feel conscious, but you didn't have the ability to open your eyes. It was boring, really— just floating around aimlessly with nowhere to go.

At that point, I thought to myself, _'I think I overestimated death. It isn't as grand as I thought. But still, I do not regret my decision.'_

Just as I thought that, I felt as if a light had shined upon me. In that moment, I found myself opening my eyes, which surprised me because the whole time I've been in that void, my eyes were pretty much non-existent.

The light that shone on me suddenly grew brighter and blinding. I squinted my eyes closed and curled myself up into a ball, hugging my knees close to my chest.

"No… stop, let me rest!" I pleaded loudly.

' _ **Do you detest your fate?'**_

The voice took me by surprise. But the question was what got me.

' _By fate, do you mean the way my life was decided?'_ I asked. _'If so, then I don't. I don't detest it, but I do not appreciate it.'_

'… _**I see. This is the first human I have ever spoken with who hasn't started demanding to know who or what they are doing in this place.'**_

' _I find those questions a waste of time.'_ I said, my voice uncaring. _'I'm dead. That's all there is to it. I cannot change that.'_

' _ **No, you cannot. But I can.'**_

I scoffed.

' _Oh please.'_ I said, rolling my eyes. _'Spare me. Are you a god?'_

' _ **You may call me that.'**_

I sigh.

' _Ah, so I'll be receiving eternal punishment for not believing in your existence?'_ I said bitterly.

' _ **Not quite. You met your end far too soon.'**_

' _I don't get it. Why ponder on the way my end came? There is no point. You cannot change the fact that where I used to be, I am dead.'_ I said.

' _ **For a teenager, you are quite the predicament. You consider yourself mentally disturbed and challenged, and yet you speak like a philosopher. There are times where you both underestimate and overestimate your worth. But most of all, it is your mind that I find peculiar.'**_

' _How so?'_ I asked, getting quite interested in the conversation.

' _ **Unlike most, you have an open mind. Your thoughts mostly revolve around what you know and see, and all you've ever known in your previous life is selfishness and bitterness. This should've resulted your rukh, or your intentions to become dark. And yet, you are the complete opposite of what I expected you to become.'**_

' _Hm? What is that so supposed to mean? And rukh? What is this, "Magi"?'_

I heard low chuckling.

' _ **Those who come here to me are as impatient as you are. I have another question for you, dear one.'**_

I waited expectantly.

' _ **If you were given another chance to live, how will you live it?'**_

My eyes widened in complete surprise.

' _...'_ I kept silent for a few moments, pondering on how I could possibly answer that.

' _ **Do you want to live again?'**_

' _Of course I do.'_ I answered, clenching my fists angrily. _'I want to live, expect without anything holding me back from the things I want to do.'_

' _ **Your greed and determination is amazing. But I will not give you a new life for you to live so contently. You are still to abide by the world's laws.'**_

I clicked my tongue in irritation.

' _ **I don't suppose you plan on killing people on the life I am about to give you, am I right? Are you that selfish?'**_

'… _I am selfish. But I know the value of a human life.'_ I answered.

' _ **Keep those words of yours in your heart, dear one. They will guide your judgement henceforth.'**_

I sigh.

' _So you really are giving me a new life?'_ I asked.

' _ **Yes. I am surprised you accept this so easily.'**_

' _I am an enigma. You cannot easily understand someone as myself.'_ I answered, slightly smug.

Chuckling again.

' _ **I see. From here on, I renew you. May Solomon's Wisdom guide you.'**_

' _What is with all the 'Magi' references?'_ I asked.

' _ **Oh, you haven't figured out? I'll be sending you to the world of Magi.'**_

Wait, what?

' _You're kidding right?'_

' _ **Not at all. Did you really think that the world of Magi does not exist?'**_

'… _it's a fictional story.'_

' _ **Most believe so. But who is to say that it is not real?'**_

'… _it's a fucking fictional story.'_

' _ **Ah, I see you won't believe me until I send you there. Farewell, dear one. I do hope we do not meet so soon. It would be a waste if you died early, although your presence here with me does make this place much more enjoyable.'**_

'… _IT'S A FUCKING FICTIONAL STORY.'_

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I groaned once, feeling something solid on my face.

My eyelids felt heavy, but as moments passed, they seemed to grow lighter. Slowly, I felt my consciousness come back to me.

I opened my eyes, blinking a few times. I realized that I was lying on my stomach, my hand beside me. The ground beneath me was dirt and sand, which confused me because there were rarely any dirt roads around the city anymore.

Slowly, I raised myself up, sitting on my knees. My body felt sore and heavy, as if I had been sleeping for a very long time. I still felt half-asleep and admittedly, I wanted to fall back asleep there. Well, had it not been for the lack of shelter and comfortable bed, I would've done so.

I looked around my surroundings. There was not much to say. The only thing I saw here is dirt and sand road in the middle of nowhere.

A few moments later, I hissed in annoyance. I looked up at the sky and used my forearm to shade my eyes as I gazed at the hot sun above me.

"Ugh… heat waves." I grumbled in annoyance.

I looked around once more, hoping to search for shelter. Instead, I found none. Only miles and miles of sand greeted me.

I started to feel a bit panicky. Where were all the people? The buildings? Civilization? Internet access?

Suddenly, I recalled all the events that occurred before I woke up. The car, the blood, the void, and the mysterious voice that loved Magi references.

I then remembered a specific part of the conversation which confused me.

 _[_ _ **'Not at all. Did you really think that the world of Magi does not exist?'**_

'… _it's a fictional story.'_

' _ **Most believe so. But who is to say that it is not real?'**_

'… _it's a fucking fictional story.']_

My eyes widened in horror and I felt my eye twitch slightly.

"Fucking god, please don't tell that voice is right." I said out loud to myself.

I shook my head furiously and slapped my cheeks.

"Okay— okay—" I said, trying to calm myself down. That wasn't the time to be in a state of hysteria and confusion. I needed to think rationally and logically— even if I really did rise back from the dead.

"Food and water. Shelter. Then money." I murmured, placing a thumb under my chin.

I then blinked and looked at my arms, staring at it in surprise. My skin color wasn't as light as this. I had darker skin!

I then looked at my body. Instead of casual clothes, I was wearing a simple dirty white dress that reached my knees.

I tugged at my hair. Instead of it to be shoulder length, it was about chin length. I looked at my bangs and my eyes widened as I saw a clear and dark brown color.

"What the actual fuck." I said out loud. "What the fuck did that guy do to my looks?"

Soon, I heard the sounds of hooves and moving carts. The creaking of wood and the whinnies of horses couldn't be mistaken. It must've been a caravan of some sorts.

I turned around and indeed, I saw a caravan heading my way. It looked like it was travelling alone, since there was only one caravan in sight. I saw a lone man in front, handling the reins of the horses.

I chewed by bottom lip. What should I do? Should I ask for this man's help? But what if he's a thief?

The caravan was nearing me and I was running out of time. I was desperate at the time, so I couldn't care less anymore if this guy was a thief or a criminal— I needed to survive.

"Heeeey! Over here!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, waving my arms around.

With my sharp sight, I saw the man jolt up slightly in surprise. The caravan picked up speed and soon enough it was in front of me.

"Oi! What are you doing in the desert all alone? It's dangerous here!" he said.

My eyes widened as the man hopped off the front of the caravan and walked in front of me.

He had blonde hair, with a fringe strangely sticking up. His eyes were golden brown and his attire looked as if it was straight out of Arabian culture. He had earrings on his ears and a dagger was attached on it attire.

"Hey, are you listening to me? What's your name? Where's your family?" he asked.

I was nearly as tall as him, only three inches shorter.

"I…" I murmured. Words couldn't form in my mouth.

 _[_ _ **'Not at all. Did you really think that the world of Magi does not exist?'**_

'… _it's a fictional story.']_

The blonde man tilted his head to the side.

"Are… are you okay?" he asked hesitantly, his arms nearing my shoulders.

"N-no." I answered, my eyes still wide.

His eyes softened slightly as he gazed at my attire. His eyes widened slightly and slowly sharpened in realization.

"Are… are you from the slums somewhere?" he asked.

"Slums?" I repeated.

"Yeah… you look like someone from the slums." He said. "What happened to you?"

"I don't know." I blurted out.

Shit.

"You don't know?" he asked in confusion. "Or you don't remember what happened to you?"

My mind raced. How could I answer this man?

"I don't remember what happened. All I know is that I woke up here with no one around me." I said, looking to the side.

What am I doing? I bit my lower lip in annoyance. It was partly the truth. But I couldn't exactly just blurt out the truth to him, right? He would've thought I was crazy.

"I see." He said as he leaned back a bit. He looked at me, as if he was deciding what to do with me.

"What's your name?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"I don't have one." I said.

The man's eyes narrowed slightly in pity.

"… Do you want to come with me?"

I looked up at him in surprise.

"What?" I asked.

"I-I mean…" he looked to the side and scratched his head. "You're alone in the desert with no one here to help. I can't just stand aside and let you die like that…"

I blinked.

"… please." I said desperately, falling on my knees. "Please help me."

The man's eyes widened as he crouched down to my level.

"Hold up, don't bow! I'm just offering you help, you don't have to do that!" he said, sounding slightly panicked.

"I'm alone in this desert and if it had been anyone else, they would've left me alone to starve and die." I said.

It was true. I knew human behaviour. Had a noble or someone richer or of a higher status saw me, they would've either killed me or take me to become their slave. Meeting this man, this guy of all people in this world— I considered it luck.

If I wanted to survive in this world, I needed this man by my side.

"I'll help you, okay? Just stop kneeling!" he said, sounding a bit scared.

I gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you…" I murmured. "Thank you so much…"

I saw a faint blush appear on his face.

"N-no, it's fine." He said shyly. He then turned to me with a small smile and stood up, stretching his hand towards me.

"Come on." He said. "I'll help you."

I smiled at him, but inside I felt terrible. My true intentions were not to befriend this man. I just wanted to have a better life in this world than the one I had in the past.

I felt horrible. I felt as if I was only using him.

Outside my internal struggle, I took his hand and held it tightly. He pulled me up gently, allowing me to stand, his hand still in mine.

"Hmm… Miriam." He said.

I looked at him in confusion.

"Miriam?" I repeated.

He nodded.

"You said you don't have a name… so I thought I would give you one mysef." He said with a smile. A few moments later, it dropped and he started panicking.

"Gah! I mean, I don't want to own you or anything! You're not a slave, don't get me wrong!" he said.

I felt a small smile creep up my lips.

"Miriam…" I murmured before giving him a smile. "I like it. I accept it."

The man stopped freaking out and looked at me in surprise.

"Thank you for giving me a name." I said gratefully, looking as sincere as I could.

The man blushed again.

"No… it's no problem at all." He said before smiling and pointing a thumb to himself.

"I'm Alibaba." He said. "And from now on, I'll be helping you out, got that Miriam?"

I giggled.

"Yes, I understand." I said with a smile.

But inside, I was tearing my hair to pieces.

I had just met Alibaba Saluja.

And I was eternally in his debt.

Screw me sideways—

At that moment, I knew I was royally screwed.

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 **[A/N:]** Your thoughts?


	2. The Start

**Author's Note:** A few people had already reviewed in the first chapter, which honestly made me very happy. Unfortunately though, one of them disappointed me and made me want to shake my head in in disapproval.

At the end of this chapter, there is a note to which I direct towards the reviewer who calls themselves **'DeprivedofCoffee'** who already deemed Miriam a potential Mary-Sue at the very first part of the story. If you are this person, please skip this chapter and read my note first. It would do you and me some good. :)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Magi. I only own the characters that are not depicted in the story such as my OCs.

 **Warning:** Again, this is not going to your typical and average SI OC fanfic. There will be harsh and tragic realism here. For those weak at heart, go away and forget this ever happened.

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 **Night 1**

I sat quietly inside the caravan, my back against one of the wooden walls inside. I turned my head to the side and caught sight of Alibaba's golden tresses, swishing from side to side as the caravan swayed.

Seeing how clean and beautiful his hair was, I wondered how it would feel if I touched it. It was so shiny and looked so soft that it was quite difficult to suppress the urge to hold it.

As if sensing my gaze was on him, Alibaba turned to me. Even when we made eye contact, I didn't stop staring at him with a blank expression. My eyes though, I knew, said different.

Alibaba tilted his head, curious as to what I may have been thinking about.

"What's wrong?" he asked, brown eyes searching for a silent reaction.

I stayed quiet for a few moments. My calm façade must've been pretty impressive if Alibaba couldn't tell I was internally screaming and having a freak out session. The feeling of guilt and shame stabbed my insides repeatedly as I reminded myself I was only using the blond boy as means of surviving.

"… I'm a bit hungry." I admitted softly, holding my stomach.

Alibaba's eyes widened slightly in realization but relaxed and laughed lightly afterwards.

"Ah, of course you would get hungry." Alibaba said as a smile graced his lips. "There are some apples and bread in the basket over there, next to the crates. You can help yourself to them."

My eyes twinkled in delight. Alibaba noticed this and smiled to himself as I made my way towards the basket. I opened it and gingerly took a peek inside. Instantly, the soft scent of food filled my nose, further fuelling my hunger. Inside there were a number of apples and bread, although I did see a small bottle of milk.

I was so hungry that I grabbed a loaf of bread as fast as I could and started eating it. The bread wasn't as good as my previous home, but it was still food and honestly I didn't want to starve.

Half-way through the loaf, I paused. I turned to Alibaba, who had already shifted his focus to driving the caravan and back to the bread I held in my hands.

 _'How did he get food? Don't tell me that this is—'_

"Alibaba… this is the food you earned from your job as a cart driver." I stated.

Alibaba looked back at me, who was giving him a frown. He nodded slowly.

"Yeah, it is. Is there something wrong with them?" he asked, placing his left arm on the top of the wood and letting it hang there.

My frown deeped considerably as I pushed the loaf away from my face.

"Why are you giving it to me?" I asked. "Shouldn't you keep this to yourself instead of sharing it to someone like me?"

Alibaba stayed quiet for a moment. His brown eyes gazed on me, as if he was thinking about something very important. A few moments later, I noticed him snap himself back to reality and gave me a look.

"I said I would take care of you, didn't I?" Alibaba said before turning away from me and focusing once more on the road. "Besides, I have food back at my house too, so don't worry about shortages."

I hummed lowly under my breath before continuing my meal in total and complete silence. I supposed that was enough for me ensure that he wouldn't be angered if I accidentally consumed all the food in the basket.

When the caravan stopped, I had already consumed two loaves of bread and an apple. My stomach wasn't as full as I want it to be, but it was satisfactory. Despite my brain and stomach nagging me to eat all the food to my full, I resisted that urge. It wasn't my food— it was Alibaba's. Until I could earn food alongside Alibaba or by myself by doing some work, I didn't allow myself the full satisfaction of a hearty and full meal.

The curtains of the caravan opened and Alibaba peaked in.

"Come on, we're near my home." Alibaba said, pointing his thumb behind him.

I nodded wordlessly and slowly made my way towards him, careful with the dress I wore. Earlier I had noticed that while I didn't lack underwear, I lacked any more clothing that would cover my lower body. Thankfully the dress was knee length, so not much of my skin showed. Though I would rather wear some pants, even if they are as floppy and weird-looking as Alibaba's.

As I swung my legs over the edge of the caravan, Alibaba took my hand and gently pulled me forward. I landed on the ground and fumbled slightly. The trip from the desert took quite a long time, so my legs fell half-asleep along the way.

Even while I stood, they felt slightly numb. Noticing this, Alibaba looked at me in slight concern, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"You okay Miriam?" he asked once more.

I felt my face warm up slightly. I wasn't used to someone caring for my well-being so much as he was. It was quite difficult for my mind to wrap around the fact that I was in Alibaba's care now and that he had voluntarily taken me under his wing.

My eyes went to my hand which he held in his. I felt my eyes widen ever so slightly and my heart fluttered as a warm feeling spread across my chest.

"Yeah." I said softly, nodding.

Alibaba sigh in relief. He then dropped my hand, much to my disappointment, and headed back inside the caravan. He took one of the out and carefully placed it on the ground. He then took out the basket filled with food and placed it beside the crate.

"Miriam, can you carry the basket? I'll take the crate." Alibaba said as he took the heavy wooden crate once more in his arms.

I noticed that he struggled slightly to support to weight of the crate and my lips curled downwards in slight sadness.

"Do you need any help?" I asked.

Alibaba looked at me and shook his head, sending me a goofy smile.

"Nah, I'm fine. I may not look like it, but I'm really strong!" he said.

I blinked a few times.

"… I agree. You really don't look strong at all." I said comically.

Alibaba nearly fell over.

"Hey!"

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I followed behind Alibaba, carrying the basket of food in my hands and being careful and wary of my surroundings. A few people looked at me in slight worry and shook their heads my way while others whispered.

I felt extremely uncomfortable with the attention I've been getting. I was one who didn't like being focused on. Especially all those gestures the people around me have been doing… it was as if I had done something wrong.

"Don't mind them." Alibaba's voice said, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Your clothes are just a bit dirty that they remind them of a slave. I think they have the wrong idea of me buying you… ehehe." Alibaba said, looking at me with a nervous smile.

My facial expression must've changed slightly because Alibaba detected my unease and anxiety towards the situation at hand.

"Don't worry, you're not a slave. I won't let you become one." Alibaba said, his expression determined.

With that said, he turned back forward and continued walking. With his gaze away from my face, he couldn't see the smile I had on my face.

"Alibaba." I called.

"Yeah?" he said without turning his face to me.

"What is this place?" I asked curiously.

Actually, I knew exactly what this place was. I knew what kind of people live here and especially what kind of fate that Alibaba would soon meet when he finally sees Aladdin. But he didn't known what I did, so I had to act oblivious. It would be suspicious if I didn't.

Also, I needed to distract myself from the stares of the people around me. I felt safer only if Alibaba was there.

"This place is Qishan." Alibaba answered. "It's a merchant outpost ruled by Lord Jamil."

I held back the habit of clicking my tongue in distaste. Ugh, the mere mention of that man's name makes me want to shove my foot up his ass.

I remember my reaction when I first read the "Magi" manga when Jamil showed up. He represented one of the people I hated… yet at the same time he represented me.

How so? I was sadistic and I used people as means as to get what I want. Just like what I was doing now. I didn't care for Alibaba. I was only pretending. I was pretending to be a helpless person that needed to be saved, when in reality I just needed some free service and a place to stay.

Perhaps Alibaba wasn't my personal choice, but compared to other characters in the Magi universe, he's the only one I could actually depend on NOT betraying me. That, I had faith in.

The rest of the walk was silent. The sky darkened little by little and soon we reached Alibaba's house. Seeing as his hands were occupied, I jogged forward and pushed the wooden door open, allowing Alibaba to enter first.

"You know, it's usually ladies first." Alibaba said lightly.

"I'm hardly a lady." I answered as I entered his house, walking inside.

The whole room was bland. There was a few plain rugs on the floor, probably where Alibaba slept. Crates and baskets were scattered here and there messily, giving me the expression that Alibaba was anything but a tidy person. It was sort of small and less spacious that I had speculated, but nonetheless I was thankful for having shelter.

I turned to the corner where most of the food baskets were stories and walked towards it. I kneeled and carefully placed the basket among the food storage before standing up and dusting my knees and dress.

I turned towards Alibaba, who was looking a bit uncomfortable.

"Uh… well, there's nowhere else comfortable so we're just going to have to share the rug." Alibaba said, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "Sorry about that."

I turned to Alibaba and shook my head.

"No, it's fine with me." I said with a small and reassuring smile. "I have no complaints whatsoever."

Alibaba turned to me in slight surprise.

"Really?" he asked, somewhat shocked with my response.

I nodded wordlessly, mustering the sincerest smile I could possibly make. Alibaba's eyes widened slightly, still surprised, but it slowly softened and he relaxed, his tense shoulder's loosening.

"I see." Alibaba said, smiling in relief.

 _'He shows his expressions too easily…'_ I observed silently. _'That would be a huge disadvantage in the future against his opponents. No wonder I can freely use him like this.'_

"My work isn't that great and the money isn't that much, which is why I have been living like this." Alibaba said, casting his brown eyes downwards. They were filled with sadness and slight regret, something I didn't like seeing in Alibaba.

"But one day, I'll become rich. Rich enough to buy everything we need! No, everything we want! Rich enough to buy a whole country!" Alibaba exclaimed, raising his head up. A smile and a fierce look of determination appeared on his face as he clenched his fist in front of his face.

"Then we'll have to nothing to worry about anymore!" he said.

I watched with him, my mouth slightly agape. I was speechless. _'So this was how he thought before he met Aladdin and conquered Amon…'_

"We…" I murmured.

Alibaba looked at me.

"You said we…" I repeated. "You'll include me?"

Alibaba lowered his fist and nodded.

"Of course I will. I meant when I said I'll be taking care of you. Besides, I'm the one who gave you a new name, right?" Alibaba said.

"Right, Miriam?"

Hearing my new name come out of his lips, I felt myself smile against my own will. I felt so happy. Why? I didn't know. I just felt so happy that tears sprung from my eyes.

Immediately, Alibaba started to fuss over me, asking me what was wrong and if he had possibly said something mean towards me. While he fussed, I kept on shaking my head.

"No, no—" I said, wiping my tears away with my hand. "I'm just happy that I'm able to live now with you, Alibaba."

Alibaba leaned back, eyes widened with surprise.

"I'm happy to be able to be with you, Alibaba." I said, smiling.

From the moment when Alibaba discovered me in the desert… that must've been the only truthful thing I told him.

And that crushed my heart.

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Life with Alibaba… well, not exactly boring nor entertaining.

Since Alibaba was still stuck with money engraved in his mind, each time he would have a noble or rich customer, he would act like a total sap. He literally kissed ass and did everything obediently, acting like a loyal dog towards them until they paid him.

I frowned upon that kind of behaviour, but knowing that he'll change his mind soon was enough to refrain me from hitting him.

Since Alibaba saved me and gave me a new life and name, I saw myself in his debt. Normally, I would've detested the fact that I owed someone. But for some reason…

I couldn't bring myself to hate Alibaba.

My personality varies towards the people I meet. Had Alibaba been someone else, I would've been able to hate him with all my heart and do anything sabotage them. But with Alibaba…

He was… like a warm ray of sunshine. He willingly helped me and saved me from my doom in the desert. Even towards some of his customers who were just normal people like us, he was very kind and warm.

Never once did he raise his voice against anyone nor did he get mad at his customers, no matter who they were or what they did to him. Even when there was that one time when a noble who got pissed when Alibaba accidentally toppled over his crate of goods, he still didn't get mad and accepted the punishment.

Alibaba was kicked and beaten by the said noble. Thankfully, it wasn't as severe as I thought and he was still able to accomplish the job, which were to deliver the noble's goods to another town somewhere Northeast of Qishan. But I was so angry that time that I gladly admit that I wanted to kill that stupid rich man.

But before I could even reach the knife nearby, Alibaba directed a stern gaze towards me, which would immediately deflate my anger. It was as if he was saying 'Don't do it' or something along those lines.

It was similar to a glare but at the same time held no hostility.

When we finished the job and finally got rid of that stupid noble, I burdened myself with the responsibility of nursing Alibaba's battered body. The bruises were large and purple and I knew that Alibaba would have trouble moving for a few days. I frowned and traces my fingers on his bare skin, where he would occasionally flinch when I pressed on the bruises a bit too hard.

While I traced the bruises on his back, I was also admiring his well-toned body.

What? Was it strange for me to oogle on a handsome and shirtless man in front of me?

I clicked my tongue in irritation and distaste before applying some ointment I bought before. Alibaba winced slightly but kept quiet and still for me to fulfil my job.

Once I finished, I leaned back and stared at his back. I realized then that I didn't want Alibaba to be hurt like this again.

It puzzled me. Why was I starting to care?

Alibaba noticed my stare and turned his full body around. He placed a hand on my head, snapping me from my thoughts.

"This is nothing. Once we become rich, we'll show them." He said encouragingly, giving me a smile despite the pain of his sore body.

It was then when I had found more respect for Alibaba than ever.

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.

I laid down the rug on the floor, staring at the starry sky above me. Alibaba's house never had a roof to begin with, but it was actually a good thing. For one, during the night, the desert wind is very cool, which means that we don't need anything to keep us from feeling the heat. Another is that without the roof, I could gaze at the clear night sky endlessly.

Beside me, Alibaba was snoring loudly, his left arm was beside him while his right arm was laying on his stomach. I turned to him and stared at his sleeping face, snickering slightly as I spotted a small trail of drool oozing out of the corner of his mouth, which made me snicker.

As I stared at Alibaba, I stretched my hand and neared it towards his face. It hovered above Alibaba's cheek and only one move, I would be able to feel him.

Alibaba made a somewhat choked noise from the back of his throat and turned his body to the side facing me. I froze and quickly retracted my hand as he started mumbling incoherent words under his breath and as he squiggled and squirmed similar to a worm in his sleep.

I sigh quietly to myself and focused my attention back at the night sky.

 _'What am I doing?'_ I asked myself, raising the hand I used earlier to nearly touch Alibaba's face.

 _'Why am I starting to care about him?'_ I asked. If I ever cared for anyone, it would mostly be myself. I was a selfish person, and I never thought twice about what might happen to other people if I were to gain something they lost. All I ever cared about was about my needs and wants, never someone else's well-being.

I looked at Alibaba's peaceful face and pushed my lips into a thin line.

 _'Is it because of him?'_ I wondered. _'Am I slowly changing because of him?'_

As the night went on, I started to feel drowsy. My eyelids were becoming heavy and I released a silent yawn. Realizing that I couldn't stare at the stars anymore that night, I just curled myself into a comfortable sleeping position and closed my eyes.

 ** _'It seems that you're slowly realizing your purpose here.'_**

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Today was another normal day, loading and unloading crates and objects from one caravan to another. Just because Alibaba was a cart driver doesn't mean he was on-duty all the time. Sometimes his boss would give him mediocre or typical work, such as helping others with loading and unloading things into other caravans.

If I were to estimate the time I've spent with Alibaba ever since he found me in the desert, it would approximately be 3 months. I thought I would've been able to meet Aladdin and see Jamil dead by then, but it seemed that I was wrong.

As I helped carry boxes, I couldn't help but wonder. When was Aladdin going to show up?

"Hey Miriam, can you help me lift this to the caravan over there? They're about to depart."

I turned around and saw Alibaba struggling to lift a medium sized crate. I silently made my way towards the opposite side of the crate and positioned my hands under it, ready to push it up.

"On 3. 1, 2, 3!"

I hoisted the crate up and thankfully with Alibaba's strength, we were able to move the crate towards the other caravan without further inconveniences. We placed it on the cart and pushed it fully inside, fixing its position so that there would be more space for the other crates to fit.

Alibaba dusted his hands together while I dusted my dress. Yes, I have been wearing the very same dress for 3 months. I didn't want to ask Alibaba for money so soon and forced myself to stay quiet about it, even though I hated wearing the stupid article of clothing. I wanted some real clothes damn it.

I noticed Alibaba staring at me as if he was thinking deeply. I raised an eyebrow at him and waved my hand in front of his face, catching his attention and snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Alibaba?" I asked, my voice soft. In this world, I was Miriam. And as Miriam, I deemed myself a soft spoken and kind person. That was who Miriam was.

But I wasn't exactly Miriam now, was I?

"Ah, yeah?" he asked.

"You were spacing out again." I said.

"Oh, that." Alibaba said, scratching his head. He was still staring at me, as if he was contemplating on something important. I started to feel a bit uncomfortable under his gaze.

"What's wrong?" I asked, tilting my head slightly to the right.

It sort of unnerved me how conflicted Alibaba looked. I didn't like it. I preferred him smiling or doing something idiotic.

"… let's buy you some clothes." He said.

I blinked a few times.

"… what?" I asked.

"You've been wearing the same dress for a long time. You're a girl and all, so let's buy you some proper clothes." Alibaba said.

I stared at him, eyes widened. I tried to kill my joyous smile by biting my inner cheek and my pinching myself.

 _'It's about time, damn it!'_ I screamed in joy mentally.

I smiled at Alibaba and nodded.

"If you say so." I said.

Alibaba smiled.

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I stared at the clothing shop Alibaba took me to, blinking owlishly and face slightly warm. All sorts of clothes were on display, varying from gender, age, and social status. The woman whom I noticed to be the seller eyed me carefully, as if I was some sort of lab experiment she was contemplating on performing.

"Hmm… who is this girl, Alibaba? Your girlfriend?" the woman asked.

If I were to describe the woman, I would say she was in her mid-forties to early fifties. She was really, really plump but somehow managed to cross her arms across her chest and scowl in an effectively fearful way. Her eyes were sharp and thin, as if she suspected everyone around her to be some sort of thief.

"Wha— no! She's a friend of mine!" Alibaba sputtered out, his face dusted with pink.

I blinked a few times and feign a pouty face.

"That's so mean, Alibaba. I thought we were in a relationship!" I said, acting slightly more dramatic.

Alibaba turned to me with eyes so wide I was afraid they would pop out of their sockets.

"M-miriam?! What are you saying?!" Alibaba cried, his face burning with embarrassment.

The woman in front of me cracked a small grin, which somehow made her seem less menacing and cruel.

"Heh, she's quite the vixen Alibaba. What kind of clothes? The ones you expect a harlot to where?" the woman teased.

"Geez, both of you stop it! I just came to buy Miriam some clothes, that's it!" Alibaba cried. "And don't you dare give her those super skimpy outfits!"

"But I thought you would like me in those Alibaba." I said, catching his attention. "You do often stare at me when you space out. I sometimes wonder if you fantasize about me."

"M-miriam…" Alibaba half-growled and half-pleaded, his face red from embarrassment. I laughed at his flushed expression, which caused him to twitch in slight annoyance.

I grinned slightly. I enjoyed teasing Alibaba, especially if it was about an embarrassing subject.

I walked further inside the shop, passing by the seller and gazing at the shelves and clothes on display. Much to my chagrin, most of them were far too revealing for my tastes. I prefer more civilized clothes such as sweatpants and a hoodie. But of course, would you find those type of clothing in this world?

I noticed a curious red top. It looked similar to a towel-like dress held up by two straps connected to each other. It was one of the only least revealing tops I had found so far so I picked it up and started searching for a bottom.

As I walked further in, I noticed Alibaba walking out of the shop. I felt a bit panicky at the thought of being alone without anyone familiar with so I instantly called his name.

"Alibaba, where are you going?" I asked, trying to mask the anxiety in my voice.

Alibaba turned to me and send me a smile.

"I'm just going to check up on something. Don't worry, I'll be right back!"

Before I could protest, he headed out the shop, leaving me alone with the scary woman. Said scary woman gave me an eerie and mischievous smile, a smile that I hoped I would never live to see again in my entire second life.

"So are you his girlfriend?" she asked, drawling out the word 'are'.

I choked.

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 **Alibaba's POV**

The blond boy neared his home, carrying a beige colored sack in his hands. He was quite proud of himself for being able to buy something for Miriam without her knowledge, although he was quite afraid of what her reaction towards his unsuspecting gift might be.

Alibaba did sometimes visit bars and casinos from time to time if he had enough money from his month's savings, but he never had a female companion he could actually call close to a friend. His fear of Miriam not liking his gift gnawed his insides, so when he arrived at the entrance to his home, he froze.

Would Miriam like his gift? He silently hoped so, but a part of him was beating him, saying that she probably won't accept a gift from someone like him.

Alibaba shook his head from side to side furiously, trying to gather his thoughts together. What was wrong with him? This was Miriam he was talking about. Miriam was a kind and gentle person he decided to help out.

The blond's eyes lowered to the ground, feeling slightly ashamed. His true intentions at first were to only use Miriam as extra help in his work so he'll be able to earn more money while cutting the amount of work he usually exerted.

But as the months flew, he started to grow attached to her. He started thinking about the many things that could've happened to Miriam before he found her in the desert.

Was she a slave thrown out? Or a prisoner? Possibly a bandit?

The thoughts were unlikely, though possible. Alibaba was very curious about Miriam, but after knowing the girl for the few months he spent time with her, he got the image of her being quite soft-spoken and gentle. It was as if she was a carefully and beautifully carved piece of glass. Make one wrong move and you shatter it.

Alibaba, despite his usually selfish tendencies, had a kind heart. While he did save Miriam to possibly have an extra helper with him, he was awfully lonely and never had a true friend… aside from Kassim.

But that was a tale for another time.

Inhaling deeply, Alibaba looked up at the wooden door in front of him. Mustering as much courage as he could, he gripped the sack in his hand tightly before pushing the door open.

"Miriam?" he called, his voice wavering slightly.

"You're back soon."

Alibaba turned to the side, where the other room lay. When Miriam walked out, his jaw nearly dropped.

When Alibaba first saw Miriam, he didn't give her appearance much thought. Her chin length brown hair was stringy and stuck up in all sorts of places plus her dark eyes were similar to that of a dead fish; as if she had ambition in the world. Her body was covered in dirt and sand, also her previous dress was filthy. It was no wonder when she first arrived to Qishan, many people assumed her to be a slave. Slaves hardly were clean nor did they have anything proper to wear at all.

But now…

There was an oasis near the area where Alibaba's house was located, so the blond boy assumed that Miriam cleaned herself there. The dress top she picked earlier in the shop complimented her figure greatly, hugging her chest and sides. Two straps of cloth were attached on the top, connected to each other which resembled like a noose which Miriam wore around her neck.

Her clothes for her bottom were what impressed him further. It was no shock that most female clothing for common folk were slightly or too revealing. Miriam had picked out a knee length flowing red cloth that acted like a long skirt, with the exception of a large slit on her left leg, exposing it for the world to see.

The cloth was attached securely by a golden pin that stayed on her left hip. Miriam had also chosen some simple open toed sandals to wear. Her hair was now calm and tamed, plus her dark gray eyes shone brightly with much more life than he last saw her.

All Alibaba could do was stare.

He saw Miriam blush slightly and turn away.

"Sorry… this was what the seller offered me. I couldn't say no since she was so persistent…" she said softly, holding her other hand in hers tightly.

Alibaba blinked a few times and shook his head.

"No, no. It's just… wow. You look beautiful, Miriam." He said, his voice breathless as if the very sight of this new Miriam was too much.

Miriam's gray eyes widened slightly and her blush grew darker. But she didn't bother to hide it and managed to give a small and shy smile towards him.

"Thank you, Alibaba." She said, her voice soft as always. Alibaba liked her voice. It was soothing and gentle.

Alibaba smiled and suddenly he remembered the sack he still held in his hand.

"Oh yeah— here!" Alibaba said, walking near Miriam and handing the sack to her. The said female tilted her head in confusion and opened the sack. Her eyes widened and inaudible gasp escaped her lips as she saw the contents of the bag.

"Don't worry about the price of these things— I managed to haggle with the seller. It was easy too, as well. Not many people liked the designs of these armlets, but they're actually really unique you know." Alibaba said, taking the armlets and Miriam's left arm, sliding the cool metal onto her upper part of her arm, near her shoulder.

"Alibaba— this is too much." Miriam said weakly as Alibaba slid the other armlet onto her right arm, not minding her protests.

"It's not." Alibaba said with a smile. "Besides, I promised you didn't I? One day, we'll be so rich these armlets will be worth nothing to you. We'll be able to buy and eat anything we want and live our lives in luxury."

Miriam stared at Alibaba in pure surprise before her expression morphed into curiosity.

"But… how? With the money you earn each month…" Miriam said.

Alibaba grinned.

"I plan on conquering a dungeon." Alibaba said.

"A dungeon?" Miriam repeated, unknown to the term.

Alibaba nodded.

"A dungeon is said to be home to a huge amount of treasure and amazing magical items. Magical carpets that can fly, jugs of wine that can fill themselves, and the famous metal djinn!" Alibaba said, his voice filled with excited and joy.

Alibaba took Miriam's hands in his own. A tingle and spark shot in his body, but he was much too happy to mind it.

"Miriam, I swear. We won't keep living like this forever." Alibaba said, his face determined.

Alibaba noted how Miriam gazed at him in surprise. Her gray eyes softened and a smile appeared on her face, which somehow relieved Alibaba of all anxiety and unease he felt earlier.

"Okay." She said with a nod. "And I'll follow you. I'll always be by your side."

Alibaba's eyes lit up with happiness as he held his and Miriam's hands together.

"Thank you Miriam. I'll never leave you too." Alibaba said.

"We're friends after all!"

The blond thought that if there was something he wanted to do for making Miriam have no other place to go than by his side, he might as well make her happy by being with him. And Alibaba knew that money could pretty much buy happiness and any materialistic object that could bring forth joy.

He wanted to make up for forcing Miriam to only have one home. He wanted to stop feeling guilty that his true intentions were to take Miriam only as a helper and that he first never intended to be her friend.

He truly wanted a friend. And Kassim… he didn't want Miriam to betray him as well. So he was desperate to keep her.

Alibaba was much too excited to notice how Miriam's eyes darkened and how her lips tugged in a sad frown.

Alibaba thought that he was using Miriam and taking advantage of her.

But in reality, it was the complete opposite.

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 **[A/N:] This must be the longest chapter I have ever written, seeing as it has ranged from 15-16 pages in Word and that it hosts more than 6,000 words so far. I'm quite proud of myself. :)**

 **Below, here is the letter I send towards the reviewer who goes by the name, 'Deprived of Coffee'. If you are not this person, please skip the non-bold text for that is the letter. Resume reading the author note below.**

[To DeprivedofCoffee who said that Miriam may become a potential Mary-Sue just because she is able to adapt to change very easily and seems that she isn't least bit fazed even after entering an entire different world and the fact that she had died once already, here is an explanation for you;

People's personalities are different. Much like in anime, some characters can cope with a quick change of environment while others don't. Giving Miriam the personality and mind to adapt to change and a new environment in a hurried pace does NOT mean she is a potential Mary-Sue. It is called allowing to think rationally and to place one's priorities straight.

While yes, it is true that if somebody else was faced with the situation, they would've reacted in another way. But sadly, Miriam is the OC. And sadly, she is not exactly normal.

Right now, I have revealed Miriam to have 2 personalities. The first is the personality which she uses to act towards Alibaba. The second is her internal personality, one that reflects her true thoughts and intentions.

This fanfic will represent a human's nature; the internal conflict of our intentions and our actions. The desperation and the lengths in which a human will act upon if they need to survive. Just because Miriam is not outwardly expressing her reaction does NOT mean she isn't overwhelmed by the fact she is now stuck in a world she used to deem fictional and that her only chance of not becoming a side character and dying a painful and nameless death is to stay by Alibaba's side.

Also, some people do accept absurd situations easily. If you say otherwise, then you must really get out more. Not all of us are just like main characters of an anime

I apologize if this letter seems rude, but I am quite annoyed by your rushed judgement when I only posted, what, one chapter of the story, and it was only the prologue or the beginning. You cannot deem a character a Mary-Sue just because of her ability to adapt to change.

I am basing Miriam on my personality you know. And yes, if I were to confront the very same situation Miriam is in, I would've done the same thing she did to Alibaba just to survive.

THERE. DONE. FINISHED. OVER. ]

 **I do hope that I'll be able to keep updating regularly like this. It's still summer where I'm at and I hope nothing interferes again with my passion for writing. Also, special shout out to the guest reviewer who calls themselves 'Insanity'. I'm glad you're happy about me coming back from hiatus. :)**

 **~Choco-chan**


	3. Newfound

**Author's Note:** I'm glad that people are happy that I'm writing again. It makes me smile when an excited fan of mine sends me a PM. :)

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Magi. All rights to Shinobu Ohtaka.

 **Warning:** Internal conflict and possibly some bloody and confusing scenes ahead for the poorly functional mind.

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 **Night Two**

"Miriam?"

I turned to my side as I finished hoisting yet another heavy sack of potatoes and beets into the caravan. Our job this time was to deliver these goods over to one of the neighbouring villages somewhere West from Qishan. It was a trip that took about three days and two nights to going there, and another three days and two nights coming back.

"What is it?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

"The shortest road to the village is dangerous." Alibaba said, looking concerned. "If anything happens, don't hesitate to run away."

My eyes widened and I nearly dropped the barrel of pears in my hold. I stared at Alibaba, slowly trying to comprehend what he had just said. My grip on the barrel tightened and I pushed my lips into a disapproving frown.

"No." I said strongly, turning back to the cart and continuing to load the supplies.

"What? Miriam, I'm serious! Bandits usually target the road we're going to take soon!" Alibaba said.

"Then use another road. Simple." I said curtly.

"Miriam— the lord of Qishan is adamant about our time schedule. If we don't deliver these goods as fast as possible, he'll try and do something to us. I've heard that he torments his slaves and household members for fun!"

I snapped my head towards Alibaba and glared at him. He flinched and leaned back a bit, his brown eyes wide with fear.

"I don't care. I'm not running away. That's it." I said, crossing my arms in defiance.

Alibaba gaped at me and ran a hand in his blond hair. He sigh in slight annoyance and turned to me, looking at me as if he was wondering what he was supposed to do.

"… fine. But I swear, if something does happen, you are NOT allowed to leave my side." Alibaba said, pointing his finger at me and giving me a stern look.

I returned the look with a glare. I saw him wither slightly and internally smirked.

After we finished loading the goods we were supposed to deliver and packing supplies of our own for the trip, we departed from Qishan, with Alibaba's boss wishing us a safe trip. He did give us a warning about the bandits, but Alibaba waved it off and said to leave it to him.

Three hours had past ever since we departed and the sun was sending heat waves enough to fry an egg on the ground. I was sitting beside Alibaba, a shawl covering my face and shoulders to ward off the heat. Alibaba wore the same, but I saw him sweating a bit and noticed him wiping it off with his shoulder.

I contemplated for a few moments before grabbing a clean rag and neared it to Alibaba's face. The blond noticed and leaned away as I moved forward.

"Hey, what are you—"

He was silenced when I wiped the sweat off his face gently. The cloth absorbed it and I threw the used rag in the back of the cart, discarding it easily. I then shifted my attention back to the road in front of us.

Through my peripheral vision, Alibaba's eyes were still on me, slightly widened in surprise. His cheeks pinked and he tried to act casual about it.

"Geez, don't do that so suddenly." Alibaba muttered shyly.

I giggled, which caught his attention. I saw him smile slowly and turn his attention back to the road, comfortable silence ensuing us.

As we continued to ride, I started humming 'Timber' under my breath. Alibaba gave me a look of question and I just shrugged it off, continuing to hum. Alibaba didn't mind and I had to stifle a laugh when I saw him sway his body from side to side through the beat of the hum.

We rode on and on, and soon the sandy land soon turned into dirt roads. It was a sign we were nearing the village, but I knew that was just me. I was a very impatient person. Even if I did know it would take a few more days to reach the village, I still clung to the hope of ending this journey as fast as possible.

The day dragged on and eventually night came. Nights in the Magi universe were extremely cold, especially since we were still in a considerable close range with the desert, so I was shivering throughout the night. Alibaba was also shivering, his hands shaking as he handled the reins.

"Maybe we should rest." I suggested, turning to Alibaba.

Alibaba shakily nodded. "Y-yeah."

Later on, we managed to find a comfortable spot to sleep. Alibaba fed the horses and tied their reins on a sturdy tree nearby while I collected wood and started a fire.

We ate random fruits accompanied with bread. Silently, I was cursing the type of meal I was eating. In the Magi universe, money was extremely hard to come by and sometimes if you didn't have money, you had to make off with trading goods. That method wasn't used much in Qishan because of the stupid lowlifes who loved tricking others of the true value of the goods we traded.

"Miriam, do you remember anything?"

I looked up and saw Alibaba holding a half-eaten peach. He was peering at me curiously and I tilted my head once more in question, a habit I formed whenever I was confused or just curious.

"Remember anything…?" I repeated in confusion.

"About the time before I helped you in the desert." Alibaba said as he threw the core of the peace on the soil nearby. "Has anything come back to you yet?"

I stiffened slightly but managed to remain blank and unfazed by his question. The guilt and shame I had been pushing away ever since suddenly came back into my mind. My emotions momentarily overwhelmed me and tears leaked from my eyes against my will.

Alibaba quickly stood up from his place, going to my side and holding my shoulders gently.

"Miriam! What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, his voice sounding scared.

I didn't sob. Tears just kept pouring down. Despite this, I calmly wiped them away from my cheeks. But it didn't stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks.

"I-I don't know." I lied. "Every time I think of my past… I have this feeling that I shouldn't or want to remember it at all… it's too painful."

Alibaba's eyes softened. He knelt beside me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me down.

"Okay, okay, I won't bring up the topic anymore." Alibaba said. "You don't have to push yourself."

I smiled gratefully at Alibaba, though inside I was stabbing myself repeatedly with a dagger.

 _'Another lie yet again…'_

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I laid down beside Alibaba, staring at the stars that twinkled in the dark sky casted above us. Alibaba did the same, his arms folded behind him as he used his hands as a cushion for his head.

"Hey Miriam… why do you think it happens?"

I looked at him.

"What happens? Stop speaking so vaguely, Alibaba, you're starting to sound old." I said.

Alibaba twitched and glared at me comically. I rolled my eyes before turning serious.

"I mean… you know, the things that happen in our lives. Me finding you, you becoming my friend… all that. Why do you think it happens?"

"Destiny."

Alibaba shifted his head towards me, blinking owlishly. I frowned and sigh deeply, turning to look at Alibaba beside me.

"It's destiny. The flow of fate." I answered.

"Destiny… how did you get to that conclusion?" Alibaba asked, raising his eyebrow in question.

"I don't know… I just feel as if it's the only explanation as to why I'm still alive." I said.

 _'Now that I think about it…'_ I thought raising my hand in front of my face. _'Why am I still alive? Who was that person in the void? And why Alibaba of all people?'_

"So it's destiny we were both able to meet?"

Alibaba sat up and smiled. I did the same and turned to him in confusion, wondering what he could possibly be thinking.

"The flow of fate, destiny… sounds interesting." Alibaba said, his gaze still focused on the stars. "So if we were destined to be friends… does that mean no matter where we go, where we are, we'll still see each other? Is that it?"

I flushed and turned away, avoiding myself from staring at his face.

"… I would like to believe that." I said. "No matter where we are, we still are living under the same sky and the same world. That's why even though some people may seem far away, it's better to think that they aren't."

I paused in my speech and looked up at the sky, blowing away a few strands of my hair.

"Because… no matter what, we'll still be in that person's mind and thoughts. The memories and bonds engraved in our hearts will never disappear, so even if there is a time where we will separate and go our own ways, destiny will lead us back together."

I turned to Alibaba who looked awed. I slowly smiled at him, which only further surprised him. I never smiled that much ever since meeting Alibaba, even though he was one eccentric and hilarious person. Although on rare occasions, I allowed myself some leeway and smile at his antics.

"We're connected by the string of fate after all."

Alibaba stared at me for a long time. I was silently worrying that he might stare too long and eventually he would turn this calm and relaxing atmosphere into an awkward and tense one. But to my surprise, Alibaba laughed heartily.

"I get it." Alibaba said as he smiled. "Thanks Miriam. I'm really glad that this 'destiny' allowed me to meet you then. It…"

He casted his eyes downwards, holding his hands together and clenching them tightly. A somewhat pained smile appeared on Alibaba's face and his shoulder shook slightly, as if he was ready to break.

"It would have been lonely, living like this without you." He murmured softly.

My body reacted on its own. I quickly leaned forward and placed my hands over his, gently giving them a comforting squeeze. Alibaba looked at me in confusion while I gave him a smile.

Taking this chance, I gave him a light kiss on his hair. My lips tingled at the sensation of his soft tresses and I regretted pulling away so quickly.

Alibaba was blushing madly, stuttering incoherent words. I laughed at this.

"You're so high maintenance, Alibaba." I said, returning back to my seat. "You're not going to be lonely. I'll be by your side."

Alibaba watched me, listening earnestly as I continued to speak.

"I'll always be by your side, no matter what." I said, smiling.

Alibaba was silent. Suddenly, he surprised me by wrapping his arms around me and giving me a tight and warm hug. I flushed at this kind of action and hesitantly hugged him back.

"Thank you." He murmured. "Just don't leave me."

I stayed silent for a few moments before releasing a sigh. I patted his head in comfort and allowed him to continued hugging me, despite the furious blush that settled on my face.

"You're such a baby…" I teased. "But it's not like I have anywhere else to go to, Alibaba."

I waited for him to answer, but all I heard were light breathing. I turned my head to the side and saw Alibaba sleeping comfortably on my shoulder, his arms limp though secured around me.

Slowly, I pushed him off me and let him sleep on the sleeping mat we settled on the ground. I placed a blanket over him and allowed him to sleep comfortably as I stared into the warm fire that was still burning in front of me.

I hugged my knees close my chest and stretched my arms outwards, my palms in front of the fire. The heat warmed me and I felt comfortable in this position. Away from society, away from Qishan— but beside Alibaba none the less.

I turned to the sleeping blond beside me and found him drooling in his sleep— again. I rolled my eyes but smiled at this anyways, getting used to Alibaba's quirks.

"I really wish I could tell him the truth…" I whispered to myself. I then ducked my head low into my legs, hiding my face from sight.

 _'But would he still have me… a selfish and cruel person who steps on other people's values… a person who acts fake and manipulates others for her own self-satisfaction?'_

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The second day of our departure continued, except Alibaba was the one humming happily under his breath.

I sweat dropped at his chirpy behaviour, but I did find it refreshing to know he was okay and happy. I supposed that my speech from the other night opened his eyes, albeit a little. Although I knew I couldn't change Alibaba's money-obsessed ideals overnight, the feat was still something I considered impressive.

I really wished someone patted me on the back for that.

As we trudged down the dirt road, I started to have a bad feeling. The gut feeling that something bad was about to happen and that we had to be alert.

"Alibaba…" I whispered.

"I know." He said. "I sense them."

I turned to him with slightly wide eyes. What did he mean by that?

"There are bandits watching us, Miriam." Alibaba said. I saw him try and pull a look of bravery, but it ended up looking as if he was constipated and was in dire need of a shit.

"You look horrible, acting heroic like that." I commented.

Alibaba bristled.

"I'm starting to change my mind about saving you if the bandits come after you Miriam." Alibaba stated in annoyance.

I paled slightly.

A few minutes later, my gut feeling became worse. I felt as if eyes were literally boring holes into my very being. I was feeling very scared.

But at the same time, I was feeling oddly calm.

 _'Maybe it was because I have faced the danger of death once?'_ I thought. _'It could be. I don't fear death anymore. Instead…'_

A small smile came up my face.

 _'Why do I feel thrilled?'_ I asked myself.

"Miriam. They're coming." Alibaba said. "Act natural and just follow my lead, got it?"

I frowned. _'Why do I have a bad feeling about this?'_

A few moments later, the bushes around us started rustling. Alibaba suddenly stopped the caravan, pulling the reins back and forcing the horses to stop.

Figures started to surround us. Burly men of all sorts of sizes neared our cart, wearing menacing grins on their faces and holding swords and weapons of all kinds. I noticed a few of them eye me lustfully to which I responded to a disgusted and resented expression.

"Well, well. A stupid cart driver and his friend have arrived in our hands!" one of the bandits said, tracing his finger on the blade of his sword.

I swallowed a lump on my throat. Alibaba stayed quiet and just stared, waiting silently for what might come next.

"Depending on our mood, we could kill you." He said. "But then again…"

His eyes landed on me, specifically my skirt where my leg was fully exposed for him to see. I cringed as his eyes took sight of my lower body and quickly covered it by pulling my skirt over my leg.

"That woman looks beautiful."

Alibaba gritted his teeth.

"Hey boy. Here's a little deal— gimme that woman and the cargo you have, and maybe I'll let you live! What do you say?"

I turned to Alibaba.

"Oh come on~ We're just poor cart drivers! What could you possibly gain from us?" Alibaba said in his voice that he usually used to try and woo the stupid prissy nobles from Qishan.

"Sweet talk won't get you anywhere, kid." The man in front of us said, who I assumed to be the leader.

Alibaba kept smiling sweetly while I tried to keep my face from showing any facial expression. The leader turned to me and his eyes gazed on my bare left leg, which was exposed for the world to see.

I cringed at the lustful look in his eyes and quickly covered my leg using my skirt, obscuring it from the perverted geezer's roaming eyes. Sadly, he started eyeing my whole body. I literally felt as if his gaze could touch me and I really was tempted on kicking him where the sun don't shine just to make him stop staring.

"Heh. Grab the woman."

"What?!" Alibaba cried.

Two burly men came to my side and forcibly dragged me down the cart, their hands separating my arms and restricting my movement. I struggled, kicking both of their legs. The nearly fell over and I was able to free on arm, but another man who was twice the size of the two holding me captive, grabbed both of my arms and forced me on my knees, stretching my arms behind me.

Alibaba had also been taken, his arms tied behind his back. The leader's hand was pulling on his hair and was forcing him to watch me.

"Resist and I'll order my men to break both of her arms." The leader said.

The men around us laughed loudly and evilly, enjoying the looks of devastation and fear on both of me and Alibaba's faces.

"No… don't hurt her! You can have the cargo!" Alibaba yelled.

"Sorry, but pass up the chance to have that woman? No way." The leader said as he threw Alibaba forcibly into the ground and started kicking him.

Memories of Alibaba being beaten back at Qishan flashed through my mind. His kind smile, his stupid antics, his constant fussing over trivial matters—

Alibaba coughed up blood as the leader punched his gut.

"No, STOP!" I yelled desperately, tears streaming down my eyes.

"Hehe. What, are you two a couple or something?" the leader asked as he continued to beat Alibaba. "That's lame! But still— nice choice of a woman. She'd make a fine harlot if she works under my care! The pleasure and the money would be enough to give me a luxurious life!"

I tried to pull my arms away from my captor, but his grip tightened on my wrists. I could tell they were going to bruise later on, but that was the least important thing on my mind.

"STOP IT STOP IT!" I yelled. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

"Ahahahaha!" the leader laughed sadistically. Alibaba laid on the ground, more battered and bloodier than I have ever seen before. His eyes were swollen and his face sported a nasty bruise.

"No…" I murmured, my tears streaming down my face.

"Say goodbye~"

The leader slowly unsheathed his sword, grinning menacingly as he pointed the blade towards the limp Alibaba on the ground.

My fear escalated and my heart pounded.

My mind snapped.

Sensing my lack of yelling and begging, the leader turned to me.

"Oh, broken already?" he asked, sounding disappointed.

My head hung low, bangs obscuring my eyes but not my view.

 _'Eight men— no, nine including the man behind me.'_ I thought. _'Can I take them? I have no weapon— wait. The man behind me has a pair of twin swords. Maybe I can grab them. How? What will I do to catch his guy off guard?'_

My mind raced as plans of escape formed in my brain at top speed. My arms started to shake and I slowly turned behind to the man who was holding me captive.

I gave him a lustful and perverted look. The man blushed obviously as I fidgeted in my place, widening my legs. My skirt revealed more than my left leg was slowly showing my thighs.

"W-wow…" I heard him mutter.

I sensed his hold loosen momentarily and that was when I struck.

I pulled my hands away from the man's grip. He was shocked and I used that momentum, bringing to fingers from my hand and forcibly poking his eyes as hard as I could.

"GAH!" he cried, holding his face as blood dripped from in between his fingers.

As he struggled to cope with the pain, I grabbed the two swords from the man's waist. I heard a loud and strangled yell and looked behind me, finding a scrawny man heading my way with a raised sword.

I was still afraid— but my wrath and anger quickly overcame that.

The man swiped his sword down at me. I barely managed to dodge as the blade nicked my shoulder, causing a barely fatal wound to open on my previously unwounded skin.

I moved forward and didn't hesitate the plunge one of the swords into the man's chest. He gurgled and twitched. Using my right leg, I pushed him off the sword and held it tightly as his body fell down on the ground.

"M-miriam…" Alibaba murmured.

I gritted my teeth.

 _'I hate this.'_ I thought. _'In my previous life, I was such a coward. I never did anything right and I gave up my life so easily because I had no control of it. I didn't do anything worthwhile and I was such a despicable human being.'_

"What the fuck are you guys doing? Grab that crazy bitch!"

 _'Even now, I haven't changed.'_

Another man swung his sword vertically at me, aiming for my neck. I ducked low and tripped his feet forward, plunging the sword in my hand into his throat. Blood spattered in front of me, spraying slightly on my face.

 _'I'm still greedy and I'm still manipulating Alibaba.'_

I ran forward and two more men greeted me. They held up a chain and surrounded me, running around me as they wrapped the chain around my body.

I held the swords in front of my body and struggled to push the chain from completely restricting my movement. I let out a cry as I dashed towards the man to my left, kicking him on his shin and kneeing his jaw upwards.

He fumbled and the chains loosened. I then punched his face as hard as I could and with a swift swing, I sliced his head off.

As his head flew upwards, the man on my right looked at me with fearful and bewildered eyes.

 _'I mean… right now I'm killing people. And I don't feel regret about it.'_

I heard another cry and turned around. The man I injured by poking his eyes out managed to recover. He held a large log in his hand and started swinging it around randomly.

I dodged and dodged since his movements were sluggish. He brought the log down as a final attempt to strike me down, but while he tried to figure out where I could be, I sliced the arm he used to hold the log off.

 _'Why am I here? What kind of person am I? Am I acting like this because they threatened my life and well-being?'_

"Miriam… stop!" I heard Alibaba say.

I didn't mind. I had taken down four men so far, and I only needed to take down the remaining five.

"Damn it, forget her and just kill her already! I'll take care of the boy!"

Upon hearing that, my body moved by itself. The remaining four, not including the leader, faced me head on, their swords ready.

 _'No… it's because I'm tired of watching Alibaba get hurt.'_

I stabbed one bandit after the other, effortlessly dodging all their attempts of landing a hit on me. Finally, the last one was shaking visibly and dropped his sword, ready to run away.

Against my will, I grabbed the sword and threw it forward, where it stabbed the man's back. He made a somewhat choked noise before falling down on the ground face forward. All that was left was the leader who held Alibaba captive.

 _'I'll regret this. I'll regret killing so many people.'_

Slowly, I raised my head, allowing both Alibaba and the leader of the bandits to see my eyes.

"What the fuck…" I heard him murmur.

I didn't know what my eyes must've looked like, but judging from the faces of Alibaba and the leader, it must've been showing the wrath and anger I've been keeping in this whole time.

 _'Alibaba had been so kind to me… and I've been trying my best not to care for him because I believed he was just a tool for my survival.'_

I raised my sword and pointed it towards the leader whose foot was still on Alibaba's body.

"Let him go or die." I said, my voice unfamiliar even to myself.

The leader cringed and gritted his teeth. He then hoisted Alibaba up and held him by the hair, placing his own sword near his neck.

"Ha! Put your sword down and I won't slice his throat!" he said, his voice wavering.

"You don't want to do that." I said. "Your men are dead."

"And soon… **you'll be as well.** "

"Miriam, stop it…" Alibaba said as a pained groan escaped his lips.

I hesitated, my arm retracting slightly.

"You heard him! Lay off!" the leader yelled.

In an instant, my eyes hardened. Slowly, I walked forward and dragged the swords on the ground. The sound of the friction against the metal and the ground beneath me was meant to intimidate the leader.

And it worked. I saw his eyes widen with fear and how his knees shook under him. His hold on Alibaba grew weak and he dropped him unceremoniously on the ground.

As Alibaba coughed once more, I felt myself snap from my previous trance and revert to normal. I hurriedly ran to Alibaba's side, hoisting him up gently and cutting off the bindings on his wrists behind his back.

"Miriam…" Alibaba muttered, looking at me with glazed eyes. They then widened.

A shadow loomed over me and I turned around swiftly to see the leader holding up his sword above both me and Alibaba. He grinned insanely and he started laughing maniacally as he plunged his sword down us.

I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the pain. Instead, I heard the clash of metal.

I opened my eyes and saw Alibaba had unsheathed his dagger and used it to block the sword from harming me. The sword was about two inches away from my back, so I was overwhelmed by the fact that I could've died.

I turned to look at Alibaba's expression and I gasped.

His brown eyes were filled with rage and anger. His teeth were gritted and he let out a warrior cry as he pushed himself off the ground and tackled down the leader behind me.

"Oof— GET OFF ME!" the leader demanded.

Alibaba held the dagger near the leader's face, the tip of its blade barely touching his skin. Alibaba's glare send chills to both me and the leader's spine.

"You tried to kill someone important to me." Alibaba said lowly as he raised his dagger. "And I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN!"

"Wait, no—!"

Blood spattered everywhere as Alibaba thrust the dagger into the man's beating heart. I watched with wide eyes, allowing the image of this scene to forever be engraved into my memory.

Shakily, Alibaba got off the leader's dead body. He turned to me and started walking forward, but fell to his knees before he could reach me. Hurriedly, I ran forward and grabbed his body before he could fall down again on the ground.

"Miriam…"

 _'But now… I'm not sure.'_

"A-alibaba?" I asked.

His hands clutched my shoulder painfully. He then raised his head and gave me the same glare he gave the leader earlier.

"What were you thinking?!" Alibaba demanded. "You… you just… killed these dangerous people! You could've DIED!"

I hesitated and looked away. I felt panicked and anxious of having a furious Alibaba to talk to. I have never seen him like that. Only in the manga— but that was only during his time in Balbadd or when he spoke to Kouen during the war between Reim and Magnostadth.

"B-but you were about to die a-and I couldn't l-let that happen." I said, my voice higher than usual.

 _'No… I think I know the reason why I'm changing.'_

Alibaba looked at me long and hard. I bit my lower lip and looked down on the ground, covering my face with both my hands.

"I don't want you to die…" I murmured, my body shaking as I sobbed.

 _'For better or for worse… I'm starting to care for him.'_

"Miriam…" Alibaba murmured, wrapping his arms around me. "Don't you ever do that again."

 _'I actually killed for him. Why am I doing this?'_

My sobs turned louder as I also wrapped my arms around Alibaba, hiding my face in his shoulder. His hand was positioned on my head, petting my hair and soothing it in an attempt to comfort me.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry." I whispered, clutching his clothes.

"It's fine." Alibaba muttered.

 ** _'I didn't expect such a turn of events… but fate is cruel like that. It teaches you lessons in the most painful way possible so that they will forever will be engraved in you. Fate changes everyone— and I see it's taking its toll on you as well.'_**

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 **Alibaba's POV**

After managing to calm Miriam, she fell asleep in his arms. Since the road was now cleared of bandits, thanks to Miriam, it would be safer to actually pass by without any more worries.

Later that night, Alibaba gently laid Miriam on the ground. He wiped the dried blood of her face, staring at her with sad eyes as he did so.

He never thought that Miriam would be capable of killing… especially for his own sake. The look of her deadly glare was still clear in his memory and he actually feared that part of Miriam. He always saw her as a soft-spoken and calm person, though she had a sense of humour from time to time, he never expected that Miriam would have such a bloodthirsty and angry side.

Using the streams nearby, Alibaba washed his body off the dirt and blood from the fight earlier that day. He walked back to where Miriam and the cart was placed and noticed that she had woken up during the time he was gone.

Hearing his noisy footsteps, Miriam looked up. Gray eyes met brown. But Miriam snapped her head away, gazing away from Alibaba and focused on staring at the ground beneath her.

Alibaba frowned. He silently made his way towards Miriam side. He noticed her flinch slightly and scoot a few spaces away from him. The blond just scooted a few spaces nearer to Miriam, to which Miriam responded by just pushing him away.

"Miriam…"

Said dark haired girl didn't look up and continued to gaze off on the ground. She refused to make eye contact with Alibaba, which saddened him.

"I don't care about what happened earlier. But… I only have one question for you." Alibaba said.

"For whose sake did you kill them?"

Alibaba noted how Miriam froze. She hugged her knees near her chest, her hands clenching her knees tightly.

"… I don't know." Miriam muttered.

Alibaba stayed silent, listening earnestly.

"I don't know why I killed them." Miriam said, raising her head slightly so Alibaba was able to see her gray eyes reflecting the light of the fire. "But… I was just scared of you dying. I didn't care if I died… but if it was you, I couldn't stand the very thought of it."

Alibaba turned to the fire and stared at the blazing flame.

"Then you did it for my sake?" Alibaba asked, prodding the fire with a long wooden branch he had picked up earlier.

"… I don't know." Miriam said once more.

Alibaba didn't pry the subject anymore. He saw how confused and scared Miriam acted and didn't want to make her feel more uncomfortable than she already was.

"… if you want to protect me, I only have one condition."

Miriam looked up at him and gave him a look of confusion.

"Don't kill someone in my name or for my sake. I hate that. You don't have to kill someone just to protect me." Alibaba said. "And… I would do the same to you. I'll protect you, you protect me. We don't have to kill."

Alibaba then stood up from his place and reached his hand towards Miriam. He smiled softly and looked at Miriam as if she had done nothing wrong in the first place.

"Let's just go home, alright?" Alibaba asked.

Miriam blinked a few times before her eyes started to water. Alibaba flinched back and started fussing, scared that he might've done something wrong once more to hurt Miriam's feelings.

"Let's go home." Miriam said, smiling through her teary face.

Alibaba froze and flushed slightly. He preferred her smiling rather than crying.

Miriam's hand held Alibaba's. The blond then helped her up, allowing her to stand in front of him. She was still wiping the tears away using her hand and Alibaba felt slightly guilty for making her cry.

"Thank you, Alibaba."

Alibaba looked at Miriam in question. He didn't know why she was thanking him. In fact, he should be thanking her. Miriam saved his life that day, after all.

"Thank you for giving me a place to stay." She said, continuing to wipe her tears away. "If I can… I want to stay by your side forever."

Alibaba's eyes widened and his cheeks turned bright red. Was it him, or does this oddly sound similar to a confession?

"O-of course you can stay by my side." Alibaba muttered, looking away shyly.

Miriam smiled brightly, which only deepened the blond's blush.

Alibaba had found someone he wanted to protect more than his life.

It was something that both scared and amazed him greatly.

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 **[A/N:]** If some of you guys are thinking that Alibaba is acting OOC, you're right and wrong.

The memory of losing Kassim and Mariam is fresh on his mind. Plus, this part of the story is set before he met Aladdin. Meeting Aladdin was a changing point for Alibaba, but it didn't mean he wasn't kind and caring in the first place. While he probably is still cowardly and easily scared shitless before Aladdin, he still has his heart even before he met the blue haired boy.

Miriam is becoming a pillar of support for Alibaba, whether you guys notice or not. He's starting to care much too deeply for his own liking, and likewise to Miriam. Both their personalities are changing because they are both effecting each other with the other's presence and influence.

Miriam— a person who cares only for herself and manipulates others is starting to become more honest and cannot stand to lose the only person who cares about her.

Alibaba— a person who cares only for money and puts on a sickeningly sweet façade to hopefully become rich is starting to become a person more truthful to himself and cannot stand to be betrayed once more by the only person he trusts.

Still confused and cannot understand what's going on in the story? Go home. ;)


	4. Second Guessing

**Author's Note:** Well, not much for me to say in this portion of the fanfic. But there are some important facts about me and this fanfic you might want to read after this chapter, so don't skip them. You might only further be confusing yourself.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Magi. All credits to Shinobu Ohtaka and her editors.

 **Warning:** No red flags here.

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 **Night 3**

My relationship with Alibaba ever since the bandit incident became… stretched and forced. We still lived together and worked together… but there was this awkward tension in the air that I really wanted to break between us.

When we reached the destination of our last job, the chief of the village we were supposed to deliver the goods to, heard of our attack. They took care of us for a few days and gave us some goods and to send a message to Jamil himself, which was written in a scroll.

It really made me annoyed that even though I wasn't exactly officially Alibaba's partner, I still had to serve under the reign of that annoying and arrogant man.

Throughout the whole trip back to Qishan, not one of us said a word to each other. For me, I didn't want to talk to Alibaba because I felt ashamed of letting my true colours reveal in front of his face. As for Alibaba, I wasn't sure why he wouldn't talk to me. Maybe it was because he didn't know what to talk about or he saw me in a whole new light.

I didn't know. But it was completely nerve-wrecking, having to figure out what Alibaba was thinking. Out of everything in this world, the only thing I cared about was what how he thought of me. I guess that I would've broken down if he abandoned me, since he was all I got.

I sat on the remaining pieces of the roof of Alibaba's small house, my legs dangling over the edge of the small building. I leaned backwards, stretching my arms back to support my upper body weight as I watched the stars twinkle above me.

In the previous world, star gazing was such a difficult hobby. With the pollution and the city lights, the stars were barely seen in the night sky. But here in this world, I could see the millions of stars scattered above me, shining brightly through the darkness of the night sky.

It relaxed me. The calm and soothing silence plus the gentle and cool breeze of the desert night. I had long grown accustomed to the ever changing weather of Qishan, though I was still uncomfortable with the heat. I preferred staying up in the night since it was so cool and soothing.

"Is there a seat for one more?"

I turned to my side and found Alibaba climbing up the ladder, walking over the remains of the roof of his building and sitting beside me.

I looked away from Alibaba and nodded wordlessly, not wanting to make any contact with him.

"The stars are sure pretty tonight." He said.

I nodded once again. Slowly, I looked up to the sky again and watched the sparkling balls of gas above us. The way they twinkled in sparkled— childish to say, but it seemed so much like a fairy tale.

Through my peripheral vision, I saw Alibaba turn to me and give me a sad smile.

"How long are we going to not talk to each other like this?" he asked.

I clenched my fists and leaned forward, sitting properly. I placed my hands on my lap and looked down, my bangs covering my eyes.

"Alibaba… do you hate me?"

The blond beside me blinked in surprise.

"Hate you? For what?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"… you saw me kill someone mercilessly in front of you. I thought you weren't talking to me because you didn't want someone like me."

"That's not true!"

The volume of his voice surprised me. I looked up and turned to him nervously, only to see his dark brown eyes hardened. With what emotion, I wasn't sure. But whatever it was, it must've been something strong.

"I don't hate you for what you did." Alibaba said. "I'm disappointed… but I understand why you did it. I just… didn't know how to react."

With that said, Alibaba faced forward and held both of his hands tightly, looking down.

"And… I was ashamed."

 _'Huh?'_

Alibaba laughed bitterly to himself and ran a hand through his blond hair.

"I mean… I was the one who wanted to protect you. And yet, being the coward I am, I froze up and nearly allowed you to be captured. If you hadn't did what you did… then god knows what might've happened to you. I'm just… ashamed that I'm so weak."

"You're not weak."

Alibaba looked at me, brown eyes wide.

I looked at him with steely gray eyes hardened with resolve.

"You are anything but weak. You are brave, kind, caring, and smart. You helped someone like me, a complete stranger, and gave her a home to stay. You suck up to nobles and rich customers for our sake, so we could find a more and better way to live our life! You literally swallowed your pride just to protect me!" I said, standing up and placing a hand on my chest.

"Never say you're weak, Alibaba. You are strong. You're a hero!"

Alibaba stared at me with wide eyes. I saw some tears form on his eyes, but he kept blinking to keep them in bay. He then looked away and wiped his eyes using his forearm, chuckling a bit.

"I'm a hero…" he muttered.

"Yes, yes you are! And I'm sure someone else would say the same, if they saw your true colors!" I insisted strongly, dropping to my knees and kneeling beside Alibaba.

"You're a hero, Alibaba. You're my hero. You saved my life, and I would gladly give it back to save yours." I said, determined.

We both stared at each other's eyes, brown meeting gray. I didn't turn away and kept staring with a determined expression, persistent to convince him that he wasn't weak. After a few moments, a small smile appeared on Alibaba's face.

"Thank you Miriam." He said, his voice soft as he turned to look up at the sky.

I did the same and stared at the sky above us. The scenery hadn't changed a bit while we talked, but I swore I saw the stars twinkle and shine brighter than when I first came up the roof and gazed at them.

On instinct, I grabbed Alibaba's hand and entwined our fingers together. The said action caused Alibaba to turn to me with a pink face.

"W-what are you doing?" he asked, flustered.

I smiled at him and leaned on his shoulder, making myself comfortable and him uncomfortable.

"Let's stay like this a bit longer…" I murmured, giving his hand a squeeze.

I could literally feel the heat of his blush but I guessed he wanted to play it cool and casual so he cleared his throat and turned to the side.

"F-fine." He said quietly.

I giggled under my breath and closed my eyes, my head still on his shoulder.

"Thank you Alibaba." I murmured as I felt drowsy.

Before I completely fell asleep, I felt him squeeze my hand back and his other hand patting my hair soothingly.

"Thank you too, Miriam."

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"GAH! MIRIAM HELP ME OUT OVER HERE!"

I turned around and saw Alibaba struggling to keep the camel from running away. Alibaba's feet were digging into the ground and his hands were on the camel's reins, but it was as if that didn't matter at all to the animal. It casually kept on running with Alibaba flying right behind it as he held on to the reins for dear life.

I stared for a few moments before casually whistling innocently and walking away.

"NO MIRIAM DON'T LEAVE!"

"You're on your own there, Alibaba." I called as I fixed the contents of the other crates I was assigned to fix.

"Aaaaaaahhh!" I heard Alibaba cry, the volume of his voice becoming lower and lower.

The old man, who was Alibaba's boss, sweat dropped.

"Don't you think you should help him, Miriam?" he asked, turning to me.

I shrugged.

"He'll live."

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"I hate you."

I turned to Alibaba, who was fuming and pouting like a spoiled child as he fixed his dirtied and ragged clothes.

I covered my mouth with my fingers, laughing quietly to myself.

"It was just a disobedient camel." I said as I helped clean the inside of Alibaba's house. After discovering that a nest of rats nearly ate all our supplies of food, I took it to myself to start cleaning his house every time we come home.

"It was a rampaging beast." Alibaba muttered.

I rolled my eyes and dusted our sleeping rug, letting the dust flow out of our room and out the window. As I beat the rug with a stick, Alibaba was seated on one of the baskets in the house, holding a small peach colored sack in his hands.

I caught eye of him staring at the sack in his hands and decided to ask him about it.

"What's that Alibaba?" I asked as I placed my beating stick on the floor and dusted my hands, wiping the extra dirt on my long skirt. I walked towards Alibaba and stood in front of him.

"Your money."

I blinked a few times and tilted my head to the side. I stared at the sack in Alibaba's hands and watched as he slowly stood up and took one of my arms, placing the sack on my palm.

"It's your money." He said, closing my fingers on the small bag. "Use it to buy something."

"What?" I asked in slight disbelief. "But this is your salary—"

"Ever since you came along, I've been able to accomplish a lot of work. My boss gave me a few extra because we were able to do so much. But you also helped so I want to give you—"

"I can't possibly take it." I said, trying not to drool over the amount of money the sack in my hands could possibly hold. "I mean, it's YOUR pay."

"I insist, and just take it Miriam—"

"Well if you say so." I chirped as I grabbed the sack and opened it, counting the money I had earned.

Alibaba sweat dropped.

"Gold digger." He muttered.

I looked at him and, with dignity, hit his head with a broom stick.

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I sigh quietly to myself, handling the reins of the horses as they pulled the cart forward. Alibaba was busy sleeping inside the shaded comforts of the caravan, snoring as if there was no tomorrow.

I wasn't annoyed by the fact that I ended up driving the cart. I was quite grateful, to be honest. There was little to nothing I did aside from loading and unloading crates.

As the day went on, I was busy worrying over the future events that would occur once we met Aladdin. While I still believed that the best route for me to take for survival is to stick with the main character, there were still some skills I needed in order to make it out on my own.

At the moment, I was simply a commoner. I could not fight, unless provoked, and I would like not to depend on my wrath whenever I engage in battle. Since this was the Magi universe, that would be often. And really— there is only so much anger one person can invoke at a time.

Plus, I was not trained. I had no proper skills. Aside from seduction and probably my intellect, that was all I had. Alibaba, at least, knew royal sword play and could hold his own off against an enemy. I could not.

So therein lies the problem.

"What could I do…" I murmured, covering my lips with my fingers.

Simply relying on Alibaba throughout my whole life wasn't something my pride could take. Even if I had somewhat changed my point of view, there was still a part of my being that thought that I could still use Alibaba to my advantage.

But at the same time, I cared for him so much I didn't want him to get hurt. And yet, I wanted him to be my shield and manipulate him to do what I want.

These two conflicting feelings of mine made me feel dirty. My entire being is clashing against my own ideals. I couldn't get my feelings straight— did I care for Alibaba or was he just leverage?

I heard a light snore coming from inside the caravan and I turned around, watching Alibaba briefly as he tossed and tumbled inside, sleeping comfortably.

A frown tugged my lips.

"Just what is my goal in this world anyways?"

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Today was one of the rare days that there were no work assigned for us. We actually had a simple day off, which most people would rejoice to.

Me? Not so much.

After thinking so much, I realized that the heavy-lifting from transporting cargo from one cart to another had somewhat increased my strength. It wasn't as noticeable because of my figure, but I swear I could lift two or three crates at the same time with only slight difficulty.

Now I knew how Alibaba stayed fit all these days in this world. His work and his previous royal training must've paid off.

Alibaba had left me alone to my devices, probably re-stocking our goods and finding a neat place to rest. Me, on the other hand, preferred to stay somewhere near the edge of the town, staring at the sandy desert scenery before me.

I had little to nothing to do at the moment, so I was extremely bored.

I was about to doze off and have a good afternoon's nap before I heard the clashing of swords.

I bolted up and quickly stood straight in my feet. It had been weeks ever since my last and first fight in this world, and I admit that I had wanting to fight again. It was as if there was an animalistic instinct. The moment I started fighting against someone, swords clashing against each other, I enjoyed every moment of it.

I felt thrilled when fighting.

I ran towards the source of the sounds of fighting, but I was too focused on the sounds that I momentarily forgot my environment. Out of nowhere, I had bumped into a smaller body than mine and caused both of us to topple forward and trip, our faces landing straight on the dirt.

"Oof—" I said, holding my sore head. I turned around. "Sorry about—"

And that's where my eyes widened.

A girl with pink-ish red hair and similar coloured eyes was on the ground. She wore a tattered peach coloured slave attire and her feet were bound in sturdy and metal chains.

Morgiana.

I slowly stood up from my place as Morgiana composed herself. I looked around, searching for anyone possibly watching us. Luckily, we were in a slightly isolated area and there were absolutely no one around.

"Here," I said, bending forward and stretching my open hand towards Morgiana.

The said girl looked at me with surprised pink eyes for a moment. She looked hesitant, her hand twitching slightly as she slowly neared it to mine.

But then she twitched and quickly retracted her arm, holding it close to her chest.

I frowned sadly and knelt in front of her, giving her a long and hard look.

 _'… she'll become a valuable asset to Alibaba.'_ My mind thought. _'If I re-direct her admiration from Alibaba to me, then maybe she'll be willing to protect ME at any costs.'_

I slapped myself internally. How could I have come up with such a dirty and sly method of using another person and manipulating them to do my deeds? Just like what I was doing with Alibaba…

"There's no one around. You can accept my hand, it's okay." I said softly, giving her a smile as I stretched my open hand in front of her once more.

My mind silently hoped that she would/wouldn't take my hand. I have developed a second conscience— a clean conscience that started to think of other people's feelings and what I should do to please them and make them happy.

My first conscience and second conscience were not agreeing to each other. Therefore, I was almost conflicted every single time I think upon my actions, which is probably 24/7.

Morgiana was still staring at me with wide eyes. She looked at me, her pink eyes showing me the pain and suffering that Jamil had put her through ever since she was a child. But there was still a small flicker of hope inside of her.

Slowly, her dirty hand grasped mine. I noticed how bruises and calloused it was and frowned. A girl's hand, as young as she was, shouldn't have been this scarred.

I slowly pulled her up, her chains making noise as she stood. She was still staring at me with a dumbfounded expression, as if she couldn't believe what was happening.

"You're a slave, am I correct?" I asked gently.

She nodded her head.

"May I know your name?"

"…" she looked unsure, but eventually answered. "Morgiana."

I smiled and brought my hand up to her. She immediately closed her eyes and flinched as my palm hit the top of her head.

Her eyes then snapped open as she realized that I was petting her hair soothingly, as if I was her older sister comforting her.

"You're such a strong girl, being a slave of someone like Jamil." I whispered.

Boldly, I wrapped my arms around her, which only caused her to stiffen against my touch. It must've been so long ever since she experienced a genuinely caring and warm hug.

"One day, you'll be free. I'll free you from your chains, even the invisible ones that Jamil has around you." I whispered motherly into her ear.

Still dazed, Morgiana could only muster a few words.

"… but why?" she asked. "You only met me…"

I smiled and slowly pulled away.

"Because everyone is obliged to have the freedom to choose what kind of path they must take. Not everything is as pre-determined as it seems, Morgiana. You won't have those chains forever on your feet."

I then stood up and swatted my skirt off the dirt from the fall earlier.

Morgiana was still looking at me, awed.

I smiled at her and turned my body around, though my attention was still focused on her.

"Remember Morgiana. You're free to do whatever you want. Those chains won't bind you forever." I said before running away from her, continuing my search for the sword fight and leaving Morgiana alone to her thoughts.

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 **Morgiana's POV**

The pink haired fanalis stared as the mysterious black haired woman disappeared from her sight, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Why did she help her? She was just a simple slave. No one should've cared for someone of her status.

And yet…

Morgiana recalled her warm smile and pleasant touch. Her body tingled and she silently wanted to return the hug back to her as well. But she could, would never admit that out loud.

It was as if a mother's feelings were transmitted to her.

 _'Mother…'_ Morgiana thought, casting her eyes downwards. She yearned for her family. She yearned for her home country. But most of all, she yearned for her freedom.

With the chains on her feet, she was bind by the words and cruel actions of Jamil. She could rarely do anything about the metal clamps around her legs and desperately wanted them to get off. She wanted to run away from him. She wanted to go away.

She wanted to be free.

 _'You're free to do whatever you want. Those chains won't bind you forever.'_

The words of the mysterious woman rang inside Morgiana's mind and somewhat brought back what little hope she had in her eyes to life.

Morgiana looked at the direction the woman had disappeared to, wanting to chase after her. She wanted to learn more about her. She wanted to know why and how she could possibly help her.

But most of all… she wanted to know what kind of person she was.

Someone who looked at her with equality, with caring eyes and gave her help even though she was nothing but a slave— Morgiana yearned for someone like that. And she had found her.

But she couldn't bring herself to move forward. She couldn't bring herself to chase the woman. Instead, her feet started to disobey her thoughts and walk closer back to the mansion where Jamil resided in.

Inside, Morgiana wanted to run. She didn't want to return to Jamil. She wanted to go away from him and to feel safe and secure. She wanted to go back to that woman from before and stay in her arms, being able to feel safe. Being able to act her age and ask for someone to care for her as a mother could care for her child.

But she couldn't. As she neared the gates of the mansion, her fear grew and anxiety gnawed her insides. Morgiana knew she couldn't escape just yet.

Yet.

That surprised her. Was she actually hoping to be saved, after 14 years of unfair and cruel slavery? Did that woman spark a light of hope inside of her? Was she actually waiting for her words to come true, waiting for fate to take its course and free her from the chains that trapped her?

Morgiana wasn't sure. She knew little to nothing about the woman.

But she knew one thing.

She saw her as a ray of hope.

And that was what Morgiana needed.

Hope.

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My eyes sparkled with fascination.

A couple of travelling street performers were doing a fighting performance. One of them was a man, and the other a woman. The woman's choice of weapons were two dual swords while the man had a sturdy and pointy spear.

The man twisted his spear professionally, holding the pointed end towards the woman. He thrusted it forward and swiped it from left to right, aiming to stab her heart or possibly any part of her exposed body.

The woman, however, was quick and agile. She blocked most of the attacks with one sword and attacked with another. She twirled and danced around the ground, using various of steps and timing from dancing styles as an advantage.

 _'Using dancing as part of a fighting style. That could be a good style for us. It's unpredictable, and it would make it difficult for my opponent to find any openings.'_ I thought.

"But I still need someone with proper sword fighting skills to help polish my skills…" I murmured as I kept on watching the performance.

Suddenly, my eyes lit up as a brilliant idea came to mind.

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"You want me to what?"

I looked at Alibaba and nodded.

"Teach me how to fight." I said.

Alibaba stared at me, gaping slightly. He then started to fidget around nervously, waving his arms around everywhere and flailing them.

"H-how do you know I know h-how to fight?" Alibaba asked.

I pointed to his dagger that he kept attached on his person at all times. Following the direction of finger, he saw me pointing to his short bladed weapon and he sigh in defeat.

"Well, yeah. But I don't know why you need to learn how to fight." Alibaba said, scratching his head in confusion.

"… I just want to defend myself from pedophiles." I said blankly.

Alibaba sweat dropped.

"And because you look like an impressive fighter. I would like to learn more from you." I said, flattering him as much as I could.

I saw that familiar spark in Alibaba's eyes and I knew he was buying my pretty words.

"Well, if you say it like that." He said, looking quite smug.

I rolled my eyes.

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"You're open!"

A strong stab from Alibaba's hilted dagger hit my left shoulder, pushing me back. I fumbled slightly but held my stance, holding a piece of wood in both of my hands.

"Why are you fighting me with a hilted weapon?" I asked, panting slightly.

It has been a few days ever since Alibaba had agreed to train me. He said he wasn't so good in sword fighting, and yet here he was, teaching me like a strict master and pointing out all my flaws in my fighting style.

"Because you're still not adapt." Alibaba said. "You haven't found your fighting style. I don't know why you insist on using dual weapons, Miriam. It's easy to use one weapon at a time."

I shook my head in disagreement, holding the two circular wooden sticks in each of my hands.

"I prefer dual style. It's much more comfortable. Plus, I feel twice as safe for some reason." I admitted.

Alibaba cracked a small smile, to which I returned a small one of my own.

"Alright." He said. "Again! You have openings, mostly on your left side. Since you're dominant on the right side, that would most likely be where your powerful attacks, am I right?"

I nodded. As much as a goof he acted, I still found it amazing how analytical and how he could perceive such information at such a short period of time.

But if it came to skills of observation and counter acting against it— then I was better.

"Let's have a go one more time." I insisted, standing up straight. "I have an idea."

Alibaba looked at me in confusion.

"Well I'm not going to tell you." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Alright." Alibaba said as he readied himself in his stance, his curved dagger in front of his face and his left arm behind his back.

I readied myself in a stance of my own— one I felt completely relaxed and comfortable with. I flipped over the wooden stick in my left hand and pointed where I imagined the blade part of the sword would face behind me and held the wooden stick in my right hand like any normal person would.

Alibaba watched me with interest as I resumed my own stance.

"Here I go!"

Alibaba rushed forward. He pushed his arm straight at me, aiming once again for the left side of my body, or specifically my left shoulder.

I raised my left arm and used the wooden stick to defend. Using my right stick. I swung it forward, as if I was about to stab Alibaba's chest.

He defended himself by twisting his body to the side and avoided the hit. He then started coming at me seriously, aiming a barrage of stabs and hits that were all focused on my face.

I was inexperienced at dodging, but I managed to hold my own. When the dagger came a bit too close to my face for my liking, I turned my body fully to the right. I then turned around and brought both of my sticks at Alibaba's arm.

He made a small noise of pain and momentarily lost his footing. Seeing this chance, I kept hitting him with a number of swift hits. I used the same fighting style as the street performers did when she was fighting.

I was dancing to my own rhythm as I fought.

As I twirled from side to side, my skirt flowed freely. It gave more of an effect to my fighting style and Alibaba's eyes widened momentarily, probably mesmerized by my style.

Finally, he left his guard open on his bottom. He swiped his dagger at me and I ducked down. I stuck two of my sticks in between his ankles and swept my weapons outwards, causing him to trip and fall backwards on his back.

He fell back with an 'oof!' and I was still on my position, my arms spread out and one of my legs kneeling on the ground while the other bent slightly.

Alibaba slowly sat up and rubbed his head, his dagger a few ways behind him.

"That was great Miriam." Alibaba said with a smile.

I flushed and smiled back, feeling quite proud of my achievement.

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It was another late night. Inside the building, Alibaba was sleeping soundly on the rug, his arm sprawled out beside him and his other arm resting on his chest.

I watched from above the roof as the blond tossed and turned around in his sleep. I giggled to myself when I noticed a small trace of drool escaping the corner of his mouth.

What was I doing out so late at night? Stretching.

I learned from Alibaba that stretching the body could help my abilities in fighting, especially since I relied more on my footwork, speed, and agility rather than brute strength. That lead me to discover that my body, while slender, was not fit as I thought for fighting at all.

So here I was on the roof, doing a split. And let me tell you, I was glad to have a woman's body. Compared to a man's body, doing the split could be a thousand times more painful if not able-bodied enough.

I've been stretching every night and morning as much as I could. Simple arm and leg stretching, going as far as to break my boundaries and dare to do stunts that only a gymnast or probably a ballet dancer could only do.

While I've had a couple of mistakes, over-stretching and probably causing a few of my bones to break or possibly fracture over simple stretching exercises, I never regretted doing them. If a little pain was the cost of my body being well-trained enough for incoming battles, then I would've gladly done it.

Though after a few days of constant stretching, I've noticed my body growing accustomed to the various weird positions I have gotten my body into.

As I continued to do the splits, I was thinking deeply.

Slowly, I placed my hands on the roof and pushed myself upwards, allowing myself to stand up. I walked over the edge of the building and felt the cool night breeze brush past me, sending shivers down my body.

I tapped my feet twice on the floor before boldly performing a cartwheel.

As I felt the sudden rush of blood to my head, I nearly lost my hold on the ground and could've fallen to my side and died a quick death. But thankfully, I managed to successfully pull of the said stunt.

I blinked a few times before a smile crept up my face.

"Oh, this is going to be good."

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 **[A/N:]** I believe that I should clear up a few misunderstandings before I continue on with his story.

First of all, this account 'pandalatte' is controlled by one person; Roxanne. Now, Roxanne has 2 personalities— one who wrote the previous fanfictions of this account, and the other one; ME.

I am 2nd, also known as Roxanne's other personality. I see some of you have noticed Roxanne's sudden change of personality when I/she posted the author note stating that I/she is back from hiatus.

So to sum it all up, Roxanne has two personalities. The first one she uses to write the fanfictions such as "Sky Maiden", "Radiant Light", "Gazing Through the Other Side". And the other personality, me or 2nd as I prefer to be called, is writing this fanfiction, "Past Differences".

Now do you see where I got the idea of conflicting personas and consciences? Hm?

So yes. I'm 2nd, the other side of Roxanne and I'm the one writing this fanfiction. While there will be some slight comedic scenes, this will mostly focus on what I like to call the human mentality.

If you are bored of reading this, your loss. But anyways, that's pretty much all I have to say. :)


	5. Nearing the Beginning

**Author's Note:** Since I live in the Philippines, summer ends and school starts at early June. Updates from here on will be slow, just a little heads-up.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Magi. Never had, never will.

 **Warning:** A few inappropriate scenes, but nothing else.

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 **Night 4**

I exhaled once, ridding myself of my anxiety and useless thoughts. My eyes were close and my breathing was steady. I was slowly calming down, letting myself depend on my other senses for direction.

A few moments of silence passed.

I snapped my eyes open and started sprinting. As I ran, I readied my hands up high in the air and jumped forward, tilting my body forward. My whole body turned upside down, my legs high in the air and my hands acting as a support for my body to keep upwards.

A split second later, my body continued fall forward, allowing me to land on my feet again. The sudden rush left my heart pounding and as I returned to my original stance, I looked behind me, only to find that no one had watched me practice my stunts.

I sigh in relief.

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 **Alibaba's POV**

"Hey Miriam, I'm home—"

In a flash, a dagger had appeared out of nowhere. It zoomed past Alibaba, nicking his cheek.

"A-Alibaba!" Miriam cried as she straightened herself and tried to hide her flustered face.

Rigidly, Alibaba turned around. He noticed a spade shaped dagger stuck on the wall behind him, perfectly aimed on the bulls-eye marked on the wall with chalk.

Alibaba turned back to Miriam, looking pale.

"Y-you weren't trying t-to kill me back there, r-right?" Alibaba asked.

Miriam blushed, but it was hardly evident on her face. Her pout though was obviously seen.

"Cut me some slack, I'm just practicing." she mumbled, pouting as she crossed her arms over her chest and looking away from the blond.

Alibaba gulped and turned back to the sharp weapon that Miriam had expertly threw and nearly missed gouging his right eye out.

 _'I-I should really stop making Miriam mad if she's going to learn how to fight.'_ Alibaba thought fearfully as he glanced at the dark haired girl in the middle of the room, who refused to make eye contact with him.

"Uh, Miriam? Sorry, I didn't mean what I said earlier." Alibaba said, scratching his head and smiling.

When Miriam didn't respond, Alibaba started to sweat. He knew that Miriam was one person you didn't want to end up in a fight with. After all, he learned that from experience. Once he accidentally dropped a sack of fruit above her while hauling a few goods from another caravan and made the mistake of laughing at her.

The next day, he found himself sleeping on the tallest palm trees in Qishan with no way of climbing down. Also, it seemed that he the tree had been inhabited by a few snakes – not poisonous – and some other insects he never knew existed in the desert.

It took a week, but after constant begging and pleading, Miriam finally forgave him. Of course, not before making sure he was covered head to toe in insect bites and snake bites.

"Miriam? Miriam?" Alibaba repeatedly called, poking Miriam's shoulder. He tried to get within her line of sight by appearing in front of her face, but she just 'hmphed' and turned her head to another direction away from him.

Alibaba gulped. He didn't want a repeat of what happened last time. Miriam was NOT a force to be reckoned with.

"C-come on, Miriam~" Alibaba sang, trying to loosen the tension between them. He walked in front of her and placed his hands on both of her shoulders, giving her a comical smile.

"How about I get you some food? What do you want? Bread? Milk? Come on~ You can't stay mad at me for long, you know that~"

As Alibaba teased her, he noticed no change in her pouty expression (which he secretly found cute) which just made him fearful.

"Aww, Miriam!" Alibaba whined, acting childish. He snuggled his head on her shoulder, hoping that him acting like this would make her loosen up.

"Pleaaaaaseeee…" he whined.

He peaked through his bangs and saw Miriam trying her best to hide her smile. His eyes immediately lit up.

"Aha! You smiled!" he said.

"I didn't." Miriam huffed.

"Yes you did~ You can't ever say no to me!" Alibaba sang triumphantly.

Though that's how Alibaba acted, he was really and truly scared whenever Miriam would get mad at him. There was always a small voice in his head that would whisper to him that Miriam could leave his side in search for a better place if ever given a reason. A better home. A better companion.

He didn't want that.

He wanted Miriam to stay with him. He was desperate, and he was thinking of entering the dungeon 'Amon' earlier than planned if Miriam ever showed any signs of being tired of his own presence.

Alibaba didn't like being alone. It was painful before he met Miriam. After he had run away from Balbadd, it was by luck he managed to find a job in Qishan as a Cart Driver. But he had to hide his identity and his true personality, sucking up to other people and having to leech and depend on the money of his customers. Not to mention he owed a lot of people money. He had debts all over Qishan.

Only when Alibaba realized how precious and valuable money and riches were did he start to change into a greedy and cunning man. Alibaba himself knew about his own change in personality, but he couldn't help but treasure money as if it was the only thing that could bring happiness in the world.

He thought the same for Miriam. Maybe if he had money and riches, she'll stay. But silently, he hoped she wouldn't stay for only that reason. He knew he sounded selfish, but he wanted Miriam to be with him.

He wanted to go back to the days he was back in the slums, where nothing else mattered to him as a child. He was starved, dirty, and pretty much rebellious, but he was happy. With his mother, Cassim, and Mariam. How he wished to go back to where he was surrounded by people he loved and loved him back.

"… fine." He heard Miriam mutter softly.

Alibaba smiled widely as he saw Miriam uncross her arms and place her right hand on her hip.

"Yes!" Alibaba said.

If he wanted to keep Miriam, he needed to make her happy. He knew that should she decide to leave him, he had to let her go, but he silently wished it would never come to the time where she would really leave him.

She was all he had, after all.

She was more precious than money, or all the treasures in the world.

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 **Miriam's POV**

"Too slow!"

I jumped up, avoiding a swift kick Alibaba aimed at me. I landed back on the same spot and raised my fist, directing it towards Alibaba and hitting him on the chest.

"Oof—" I heard him say as he tried to steady his footing.

His left hand grabbed my fist before I could retract it. He pulled me forward and kneed my stomach.

I gasped at the pain but tried my best to ignore it. I grabbed hold of Alibaba's leg and using all my strength, flipped his body over.

Since Alibaba was sort of light, I successfully flipped him. I watched as he landed on the ground on his back, wheezing slightly at the brute force I exerted just to defeat him.

"Geez— you hit harder than I do." Alibaba said painfully as I stretched my hand at him and helped him on his feet.

"You're fault for underestimating a female." I said, smirking slightly.

Alibaba froze visibly and scratched his head, smiling nervously.

"That obvious?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I could use it to my advantage though." I said, clenching and unclenching my fist, which was still stinging. "If I could grow stronger, I might be able to take somebody off-guard and beat them. You know, even if it is someone twice as bigger as I am."

"If it does come to that, I'll be sure to run to the hills. I can't imagine you stronger than you already are." Alibaba muttered.

He then tilted his head to the side, giving me a look of curiosity.

"But why are you so intent on becoming stronger?" Alibaba asked as I stretched my arms behind me.

I hummed quietly under my breath and gave him a rare smile.

"You plan on capturing a dungeon." I stated. "And thousands of people have died there. I don't want to be one of the 99% of the people who died there. I want to be one of the people to survive it."

And I believe you'll be the one to conquer Amon."

Alibaba's eyes went wide and he scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"Hehe, you have that much faith in me, huh." Alibaba said cheekily. But his façade dropped and a sad smile appeared on his face.

"I-I don't think I can." Alibaba admitted shyly. "I mean, I say that stuff but in honesty, I don't know if I'm courageous enough to do that. I'm a coward."

I narrowed my eyes at him and frowned in disapproval. I stood in front of him and crossed my arms.

"Then just use me." I said.

Alibaba looked at me, confused.

"I'll become someone stronger than you could be. I'll be your tool. If you ever need anything, a shield or your weapon, I'll be just that." I said, smiling slightly.

I placed my right hand on my chest.

"You gave me this life, and I'm willing to return it to you. So use me however you like. But one thing is for sure; no force in this world will stop me from following you, Alibaba. You're my hero, and don't say otherwise."

Throughout my mini-speech, Alibaba's cheeks turned red.

"G-geez, how many times do you have to keep saying stuff like that?" Alibaba said, covering his face.

I closed one eye and placed my hands on my hips.

"How many times will it take for you to realize that you are NOT a coward?"

Alibaba groaned and scratched the back of his neck, hiding his face away from me.

But I saw the smile on his lips, which caused me to smile as well.

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I felt a hand shaking my shoulder, causing me to wake up from my peaceful slumber. With an annoyed groan, I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I saw Alibaba hovering above my sleeping form, grinning slightly.

I growled at him.

"You know that last night was the only night that I could sleep comfortably." I said, annoyed. "You better have a good reason for waking me up."

Alibaba chuckled and handed me a bucket of water.

"Hurry and freshen up Miriam! We gotta go work!" he said cheerfully as he marched outside the house with a happy smile on his face.

I stared for a few moments and blinked.

"… why is he so happy?" I murmured quietly as I forced myself to stand up.

I fixed the rug I slept on and hung it over a clothes line near the wall. After washing my body, I changed into my usual outfit and combed my hair with a cheap comb I had managed to haggle with an old travelling merchant a few days ago.

Once I felt clean, I turned towards the door and headed outside. I caught a glimpse of myself on the mirror of the house and stared blankly at my reflection.

Even after so long, I still wasn't used to seeing my appearance. Every time I look at the mirror, I wouldn't expect charcoal black hair, pale-ish skin, and striking gray eyes. But every time I looked, that's what I would see and get. I made it a point to avoid looking at mirrors as much as I could because I didn't like my appearance.

Not because I deemed myself ugly. In fact, I deemed myself too beautiful. Unrealistically beautiful. I didn't like it at all.

I pushed the door forward and covered my eyes from the sun's sudden rays. After adjusting to the brightness of the day, I blinked a few times and turned my head from side-to-side.

I caught eye of Alibaba who was fixing and petting the horses. I noticed that our caravan was unusually neat and that the squeaky wheel on the right side of the cart had been replaced with a brand new one.

I started walking towards Alibaba.

"Is there a reason why you're so chirpy and why our cart looks better than usual?" I asked, helping him fix the reins on our horses.

Alibaba grinned.

"We hit the jackpot today, Miriam." Alibaba said as he turned to me with a somewhat triumphant smile. "Lord Budel, a wealthy merchant and a famous wine-maker, had asked for the boss' service. Luckily, we ended up with the job. So if we satisfy this guy, we might get some extra payment and probably win some favors from him!"

I perked up at the mention of the word 'Budel'. It took me a few moments to recall why that name had sounded so familiar before I realized that he was the stupid fat-ass in the beginning of the manga's first arc.

"It's starting." I mumbled.

Alibaba looked at me in puzzlement.

"Starting? What's starting?" he asked.

I blinked before shaking my head.

"No, it's nothing important." I said dismissively. "So are you going to suck-up to him again like you always do?"

Alibaba nodded. "That is the plan."

I sigh. "I'd rather you not. It's displeasing to the eye and those types of people look down and start insulting you because they know you won't retaliate."

"We just have to keep quiet about it." Alibaba said. He then turned to me and gave me a warning look. "I'm serious Miriam. I know you want to protect our pride despite our low-life jobs, but sometimes we have to swallow our pride and prioritize."

I bit my lower lip.

"I do not like it." I mumbled.

"You made it clear when you nearly killed our last client." Alibaba said.

"He trailed his hands on my leg and personally asked me to become his fourth wife." I gritted my teeth. "And in addition to that, he kicked you every time you would look at me throughout the whole trip."

Alibaba stayed silent.

"Yeah… I didn't like the way he treated you." Alibaba admitted, his voice sounding slightly dark. "In fact, I don't like it when any other man tries to hit on you."

I glanced at him.

"I won't let any sleazy old man get you… but now, we'll just have to be quiet about it, okay?" Alibaba said. He sounded as if what he was saying was frustrating him more than anything else.

I stared at him. It was quite obvious he was overprotective of me. I was overprotective about him myself. But at the same time, it was hard for both of us to hold back when it came to each other's safety.

Although my reactions are very dangerous. The only reason why most of Alibaba's clients aren't dead yet is because Alibaba had to hold me back and cover up for me each time.

"If he tries anything to hurt you Alibaba…" I murmured.

"I'll stop you before you can even try to stop Master Budel." Alibaba said.

"I know but…"

Alibaba sigh and gave me a smile.

"Hey, I'm a man. I can deal with a little pain." He joked lightly.

I frowned in disapproval but just let the topic slide.

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 **[A/N:] I'm sorry for the late update guys! School has kept me very busy, but I promise that though the next update would take longer than usual, it would be very long and entertaining to read.**

 **After all, we're reaching the point where Alibaba, Miriam, and Aladdin meet. ;)**


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